Grave of the Fireflies
1988 ‘Hotaru no haka’ Directed by Isao Takahata
Synopsis
In the latter part of World War II, a boy and his sister, orphaned when their mother is killed in the firebombing of Tokyo, are left to survive on their own in what remains of civilian life in Japan. The plot follows this boy and his sister as they do their best to survive in the Japanese countryside, battling hunger, prejudice, and pride in their own quiet, personal battle.
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This film is unrelenting in its portrayal of the horrors of war and the loss of innocence.
Grave of the Fireflies is a beautifully constructed tale that is a unique achievement in both storytelling and artistic vale. It tells a story of a brother and sister who try to survive in a world that makes no sense, where adults either abandon them or fight each other. The older brother tries to take care of his very young sister as best he can, but we are constantly reminded that he, himself, still is a child and is not ready to carry such responsibility.
We are shown from the very first scene how this film is going to end and that dramatic…
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Good friends whose opinions I respect highly have told me for the last 10+ years that I must make Grave of the Fireflies a priority on the immediate watchlist. Those who know me well understand how difficult it can be to convince me to gather enough anticipation to seek out an animated film, because I just have never connected to that style as much as others. I'm not saying that I haven't absolutely loved certain animated movies...because I definitely have...it's just that they are very few and very far between.
Yesterday I finally watched this much-heralded piece of work, and I can safely say that it easily shot its way toward the very top of the greatest animated films I've…
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The guy from the video store is a jerk, this movie wasn't the "laugh riot" he promised it would be.
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As a human being, you've probably seen an advert for a charity before. You know, the sort of manipulative shit intended to make you feel sorry by showing photos of dead kids, but you just switch the channel to hide your own disgusting selfishness? Yeah, well Grave of the Fireflies isn't that, for one, this isn't manipulative.
Bar one scene, which prevents me from giving this five stars, I'll get on that later, this as an absolute perfect portrayal of loss, coping, desperation, survival and destruction of innocence. Never have I seen a film so emotionally devastating, even to the level of the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
Not only does the stunning animation and direction contribute…
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This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.
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Just like United 93 I have been putting off seeing this for a long time, thanks to Film 4's Studio Ghibli season I got to see it.
Grave of the Fireflies is beautiful and harrowing, following two children in war time Japan, the fire bombings, the lack of food and indifference of the adults are all against them.
The last shot is stunning,a reminder of the ghosts of the past.
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I finally decided to watch “Grave of the Fireflies” after hearing it mentioned several times on the Filmspotting podcast. Normally, I’m not a big fan of anime, but this film doesn’t fit the typical mold. The characters and story were enough to keep me drawn in and overlook the fact that this was a Japanese animated film.
The story is a simple one. A teenage boy and his younger sister get caught in an air raid on their way to a bomb shelter. They manage to reach safety along the seashore, but they quickly learn about the ravages of war after seeing their village completely obliterated. The two are a resourceful pair, doing whatever they need to survive. While there are some light-hearted and touching moments in this film, the horrors of war are not sugar-coated. There are grim realities when it comes to war, but they tend to become magnified when seen through the eyes of children. -
EMPIRE OF THE SUN quickly came to mind as I was watching GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES, although I think FIREFLIES is a better film. Both films show children attempting to survive on their own through the Pacific Theater of WWII. EMPIRE looks at the war through the eyes of a British boy living in Shanghai. The "enemy" for him is the Chinese. FIREFLIES is about a Japanese brother and sister dealing with the almost constant air raids by the Americans. The nationality of the protagonist, and the ostensible antagonists, if of little consequence. What is important is that each film attempts to see war through the eyes of children, children who have lost almost everything and must survive by their…
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If you cried at bambi, aviod this.
Ghibli Studios proves that animated film can be both serious and utterly emotionally devastating. -
One of the saddest movies I've ever seen. Not sure if I'll ever be able to watch it again.
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The June Challenge #18
Whenever Grave of the Fireflies' uncompromising, honest portrayal of the horrors war inflicts on the general populace make you think, "Wow, animation can be more than just kid's fantasy!", remember that this was released as a double feature in Japan with My Neighbor Totoro. -
As a human being, you've probably seen an advert for a charity before. You know, the sort of manipulative shit intended to make you feel sorry by showing photos of dead kids, but you just switch the channel to hide your own disgusting selfishness? Yeah, well Grave of the Fireflies isn't that, for one, this isn't manipulative.
Bar one scene, which prevents me from giving this five stars, I'll get on that later, this as an absolute perfect portrayal of loss, coping, desperation, survival and destruction of innocence. Never have I seen a film so emotionally devastating, even to the level of the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
Not only does the stunning animation and direction contribute…
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Saw this at the Prince Charles.
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dam i'm sad
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Grave of the fireflies is a Japanese animated drama (1988) by Isao Takahata and is one of the most powerful war movies ever made and extremely moving. Many people are sceptical on the veracity of such claims before they view this animated picture, but the truth is, Grave of the Fireflies is right up there with other powerful war films such as Paths of Glory, the Deer hunter, Schindler's List and Platoon.
In the waning days of World War II, American bombers drop napalm canisters on Japanese cities, creating fire storms. These bombs, longer than a tin can but about as big around, fall to earth trailing cloth tails that flutter behind them; After they hit, there is a moment’s…