Director: Isao Takahata
Screenplay: Isao Takahata (based on the short story by Akiyuki
Nosaka)
Cast: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi
Music: Michio Mamiya
Time: 89 minutes
Bottom-line: Deeply moving. A masterpiece in animation
A
World War II story from the Japanese point of view, Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies is one of the
most moving and beautiful pictures made on this topic. There is no fancy 3D
animation graphics, or grand visual effects, but with good old Japanese animation and a powerful portrayal of
the tale of survival of a brother-sister couple, this film will be etched in
your memory for a long time.
21
September 1945: The story begins in Sannomiya Railway station, where a boy,
Seita (Tatsumi), is shown dying of starvation. After removing his body, a
janitor finds a candy tin on him, which he throws away. From the tin, the
spirit of Seita’s sister, Setsuko (Shiraishi), comes out, and is joined by the
spirit of Seita, and the latter starts narrating the story, from 17 March,
1945. The two siblings hide in a shelter, hiding from an air raid. Their mother
however, doesn’t survive. They take shelter under their distant aunt, to whom
Seita sells off their mother’s kimonos to pay for food. As food becomes harder
to come by, the siblings decide to live on their own. Slowly times get harder,
and Seita is forced to steal to keep the two of them barely alive. How they
endure the ordeal of the war is what the film is about.
 |
| Seita (left) and Setsuko |
This
is the first animated film I am seeing that doesn’t have a comedy track. From
the start, there is an aura of depression. The story takes place in the last
few months of the War, and we are not made aware of the suffering of the family
before that period. The animation is quite vivid… the images of their mother’s
burnt body causes your stomach to turn too. The expressions of the characters:
the sadness, the subtle instances of happiness, the terror and fear are
beautifully captured. The portrayal of the pitiable conditions and the effects
of malnutrition are realistic enough to make you empathise with Seita and
Setsuko. Given that depressing tone, all their little moments of joy seem to
stand out… the elation when Setsuko releases the fireflies, when she eats the
fruit drops, to name a few.
The
fact that the film focusses on a short time period makes it possible to
emphasise more on the gradual
degradation of the couple’s health and mental strength. First they lose their
mother, then their aunt chases them out, then Seita is forced to steal food,
but finally they still fall prey to malnutrition. The last twenty minutes are
the most emotional moments; we see Seita finally cook a proper healthy food
with all of Setsuko’s favourite items, but the latter has already passed away…
it is unbelievable how through the eyes of a brother and sister the devastating
effects of war can be so accurately portrayed.
Grave of the Fireflies
is quite grim in narration, and it is not exactly a children’s film. Some
maturity is needed to fully appreciate it. However, if you are willing to take
a look at the Japanese point of the War, then this is probably the best place
to start. Wonderful visuals, solid storyline and some brilliant background
music make this an animated masterpiece.
My Rating: 4.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97%
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