Essential viewing for war-mongers

Rating: 9/10 (26 February 2017)

This fundamentally unsettling film, presented in the form of exquisite Japanese animation, had me glued to my chair.
Young lad Seita and his toddler sister Setsuko are left homeless after their Japanese town was fire-bombed during the last months of WWII. Their mother passes away in hospital shortly after the attack. Their father is with the Japanese Navy, somewhere out at sea. The two youngsters move in with their aunt, a very unsympathetic woman who only sees the two kids as a burden. The kids realise they are not welcome and move away to a disused underground bunker next to the river. There they try to manage on their own. When their money dries up, they resort to stealing food. Yet, in spite of their hardship, the two kids seem reasonably happy. Part of their happiness can be attributed to the magical displays of fireflies at night.
Unfortunately, due to malnutrition, Setsuko gets ill, and from there on it is a down-hill run for the kids trying to survive in a country left with little food and even less charity. The tragic ending comes as no surprise; indeed, right at the start of the film we are informed that Seita passed away.
The visuals are breathtaking, and some of the best I have ever seen in an animation film. The soundtrack perfectly fits the subject matter. The subtitles are clear and makes following the heart-breaking story-line easy.
This powerful anti-war film underscores the utterly devastating impact of war on the most vulnerable, the children. It offers a lot of food for thought and, in my view, should be essential viewing for war-mongers. Unfortunately the people who should see this film, most probably won't. 9/10.