“Why must fireflies die so young?”
My Rating: 
Watch Status: First Time
Director: Isao Takahata
*Spoiler Alert*
Prior to putting together my list of films for animation month, I had heard surprisingly little about this movie. I scoured multiple Top-10 animated film lists and Grave of the Fireflies was consistently at or near the top. I knew I had to watch it this month. So, I did as little preparation as possible and really went into the viewing without much knowledge about the plot. So without further ado, here’s what I liked and what I didn’t like about the movie after going into the viewing completely cold.
What I liked: First off, this is really an objectively great film. From an animation standpoint, it’s exceptional what the animators were able to accomplish. The movie really draws you in and the characters are able to convey so much emotion that the film does not seem like a typical animated movie. There is serious character depth in the film which is really a testament to how well the animators are able to convey subtle emotions in the characters.
What I didn’t like: This is probably my own fault not looking into the movie very much, but I was not prepared for how heavy it is. It is the story of two young children who live in Japan near the end of World War 2. Their hometown is firebombed leaving them homeless and orphaned. The movie does not shy away from the brutality of the bombings either which makes it difficult to watch many scenes, especially one where the 14-year old Seita visits his mortally wounded mother in the hospital. The two siblings then move in with their aunt who is not very hospitable or understanding of the trauma that the two children have recently gone through. Eventually, they decide to leave their aunt’s home and live on their own in a bomb shelter. The rest of the movie follows them as they struggle to find food and slowly both die of hunger. Like I said, I was not prepared for the heavy subject matter of the movie going in and did not really enjoy it all too much. That is why I gave the movie my subjective 3-Star rating. However, I did not dislike the movie. I think it is comparable to a film like Schindler’s List insofar as it is difficult to watch the brutality of the movie but it is good to do so in order that we don’t forget how much suffering individuals experience in war.
That review was a bit shorter than usual but I felt like I said all that I wanted to say. That’s a wrap on Animation Month! Thanks for taking the time to read this review and come back for my reviews in February. Being that Valentine’s Day is next month, I’ll be tackling romance movies all month. Stay tuned!
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