Grave of the Fireflies - Movie Review

In other news, there was a flood in my house tonight, but only because I watched Grave of the Fireflies and my eyes sprung a leak the size of Texas. Grave of the Fireflies was directed by Isao Takahata and was put out by Studio Ghibli, although many people seem to forget that, and it's the story of Saita and Setsuko, two young Japanese siblings living in the declining days of World War II. When an American firebombing separates the two children from their parents, the two siblings must rely completely on one another while they struggle to fight for their survival. I want to warn you straight away, if you've never seen this movie, if you've never heard about Grave of the Fireflies, it is a devastating film in every regard. It is extremely sad and very traumatic. So most of this video is going to be me talking about the moments that affect me the most. So if that's not your cup of tea, or if that's not the type of misery that you want to be thinking about right now, I completely understand. I want to make sure you're aware of that going in, because this is not an easy film to watch, but I do think it is one of the most important films ever made. While watching Grave of the Fireflies, there's a palpable sense of urgency, a can't-tear-your-eyes-away kind of feeling, right from the beginning of the film, as the village faces a devastating air raid. And something about this scene that I noticed on this viewing was that the young child, Setsuko, says that she hates the shelter. She really wishes she didn't have to go to the shelter. She hates it there. And that made me realize that she's been there many times. This is not new. This is not the first time they've ever encountered an air raid, or the threat of an air raid. Which makes it even scarier, because you know that this little girl, who's kind of just figuring out how life works, knows more about being in a bomb shelter than anything else. And when Setsuko loses one of her shoes, her brother offers to buy her a new one, and she says, no, I'll take care of it myself. I have money. She opens up a little change purse and drops out some little knickknacks and a few coins, and she's willing to spend everything that she has to make sure that her brother doesn't have to buy herself a pair of shoes. And that's that's only the first time I've cried while watching this movie. It certainly was not the last. After the air raids, the older brother discovers that their mother has been gravely injured. Him seeing his mother like a living mummy, barely clinging to life, is so disturbing that it kind of makes you frozen for a while, and pins you to your seat. It takes your breath away. One aspect of the movie that I've always found absolutely fascinating, and I guess this is definitely spoilers if you've never seen Grave of the Fireflies, and that is that throughout the movie, you get the sense that their ghosts are watching them in life, reminiscing about their past. And the narrative is told in a somewhat unconventional way, and that the opening line of the movie is narration from the older brother saying, that was the night I died. You watch a janitor cleaning up his corpse, as well as other dead bodies, and then throwing a candy container into the fields. From that container spills out something that could be salt or some other kind of seasoning. You're not exactly sure what it is, but you're immediately informed that both of them are dead, and now you're going to watch a movie about how they died. And so you're warned. I will give the movie credit. That doesn't make it any easier though. But this is one of the more ingenious aspects of Takahata's film, and that he's able to use those ghosts observing their former lives to pave the way for some very effective transitions. One of my favorite pieces of trivia regarding this film is that at least initially in Japan, it was actually double billed with My Neighbor Totoro. That's right. A bunch of children went to a movie about a big, plushy, fluffy animal and some kids that hang out with it in the woods, and then they sat through Grave of the Fireflies. Like today, people freak out when an R-rated trailer is accidentally shown in front of a kids movie. Imagine the joy of My Neighbor Totoro, and then the absolute misery of Grave of the Fireflies right afterwards. Those must have been some interesting car rides home. Something else that stands out about this film to me is that the happier moments of the movie, where the characters are sharing joyful times together, they really make you want to smile. Because you're looking for hope amidst all this darkness. And it's also a reminder to appreciate the calm times in life, because anything else could be right around the corner. And if the war and starvation and losing their mother wasn't enough, their aunt on their dad's side is awful. She's verbally abusive, she purposely keeps rations away from them, and does everything but kick them out. In every way, she suggests that they should just go out on their own, and they do. She is a horrific person, and one of the biggest villains in anime history who does not get enough credit for being that. Throughout this movie, one of my favorite things about it is that you can see Setsuko really understanding the world she lives in. She's come to terms with the fact that the bomb shelter is a real place, and she understands what that means. Later in the movie, she has an opportunity to eat her favorite candy, three fruit drops that have all been stuck together. But also in the container are a couple crumbs of fruit drops. And she chooses to eat those crumbs instead and save the rest for later. This little girl needs a hug and food. Also, she's a drawing. One of the more shocking scenes of the movie that I just find absolutely distressing on so many levels really is not what you might expect. It's not any sights of dead bodies or corpses. It's not any of that stuff. It's a scene where he comes across his sister lying in the fields. There's a bug crawling on her cheek, and for a moment he thinks that she has died while he's been away. And he stares at her for a long time trying to find out if she's breathing. And it's the idea, I think, it's the implication that they have now reached this point in their lives where they could expect to come across one another and find them dead. That that would not be surprising to them. It's that implication that is so horrifying. Later on in the film, when her older brother finally does break down and cry, Setsuko looks at him in shock. There's something about seeing someone that you normally view as an emotional touchstone, someone who's just a rock all the time, cry. That can be so confusing for someone, especially a young kid. In this case, she's offered to get him a doctor because he looks sick, but he's just very sad. And it's just that simple notion that this little girl is so willing to care for her brother without fully understanding it. She just wants to help him and keep him safe. Even if she doesn't fully comprehend everything that's going on, she wants to make sure that one person she still cares for is safe. I've seen this film once before, and I thought maybe I would never watch it again. I wasn't sure. I wanted to see it again to review it. I've always wanted to talk about this movie. It's incredibly special. But honestly, I saw the film for the first time before I was a father. Watching it tonight, now that I am a father, it's unimaginably piercing to your soul. I don't really know how to describe the feeling of just abject pain that I felt when I was imagining like if this, if I was ever in this position, if that was my child I was caring for, I don't really know what I would do. And I think it's why this film is so special, that it does put me in that mental space where I am forced to think about those things. And a lot of people don't want to think about those things, but I think it's healthy to, sometimes, to sit back and really ruminate on the fact that we've been to this place in our lives. Like, it's not that far away. There are people still alive today who went through this. This movie really kind of reminds you that life can go to a very dark place. Near the end of the movie, when Setsuko dies, he puts her ashes inside that container, and you realize that that is what fell out of it early on in the movie. God. But you watch as their ghosts, who were on this train, seem to be coming towards present day. They're seeing a real full city, and they appear to be happy. So there is like a shred of hope in this movie, at least for their ghosts. And lastly, I've always wondered if the title has a double meaning, because obviously there are real fireflies in the movie, and of course there's that horrific line where she says, why do fireflies die so soon? And you're just like, eat something. But the poster shows a bomber above the children, and yes, there are fireflies, but there's also clearly bombs and incendiary devices that are amongst the fireflies, and you have to wonder if that is also a reason it's called what it's called. This is of course a masterful film. If you've never seen it, you have to. I really do think if you love movies, you got to watch this at least once, but make sure you watch it with the right mindset. I think it is the best film that Studio Ghibli has ever produced. Some people might say Spirited Away. I might even say that. Princess Mononoke. There's so many great films, but this one I do think sort of does something different than even some of their best ones like Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away. These movies are whimsical and magical and just awe-inspiring, but Grave of the Fireflies I think is important, and there aren't that many animated films that you can say that about. If miserable anime movies are your thing though, I would highly recommend Barefoot Gen. That is that's rough, but man, that's one of the better ones that never gets talked about as much as this. Guys, thank you so much for continuing to watch Featured Presentation. Look forward to more videos very soon, and if you like this, you can click right here and get Stuckmanized.