A Much Different Aspect to the War Genre of Movies

Rating: 10/10 (24 May 2007)

Very few films capture the aspect of war that doesn't deal heavily on combat. Grave of the Fireflies is one of those rare films. It is a powerful tale which will make you weep and fall into a reminiscing state, that it's unbelievable.
Grave of the Fireflies tells the story of two young orphans, Seita and his little sister, Setseko. Two children living at the edge of the world, bounded together by the shivering effects brought by the war and the dreadful bombings. This movie does not tell the story of war, but how two children manage to cope with it. Viewers will find Grave of the Fireflies hard to swallow, because this is unlike any film they will feast their eyes on for years to come.
Let us venture into these two kids. Seita is the older brother, no more than 14 years of age, who pretty much cares for his little sister, while trying to manage their current lifestyle. Setseku is a four-year old girl, who isn't dexterous enough to understand the war, and the death it has brought. Their relationship varies throughout the film, and this is what makes Grave of the Fireflies rewarding. This movie has the most realistic characters I've ever seen in a film. I've heard that a five year old Japanese girl was hired to take Setseku's role, and it shows significantly. I followed these characters throughout the film, falling in love with them, Setseku in particular. She laughs, cries and throws a furious tangent. On the other hand, Seita is a young mature man, who is somewhat ignorant and proud to an ugly extent. Their love is so significant, it almost makes me jealous of my relationship with my little sister. The movie sucks you into the characters, so they're embedded in your mind,which makes Graves one of the saddest films ever made.You'll find out later.
Grave of the Fireflies is definitely labeled as a anti-war film. The movie portrays war as a very ugly event. People need to realize that soldiers are not the only ones stuck in a plight, people like us are affected deeply, especially when we have no involvement. These two children could never live an insouciant live, they are always under distress. The movie easily shows relevance to the novel, Farewell to Manzanar. What happens to people who don't fight in the war, but are stuck in between? Japanese citizens suffered greatly from our attacks. Innocient people. We have heroes in the U.S celebrating myriad times on their flag plantation on Iwa Jima(who actually turn out not to be the real heroes), we don't realize there is a back door to the situation.
I don't need a spoiler to tell you people die. Grave of the Fireflies is clearly labeled as a tragic film. I learned in school that when tragedy comes, someone always dies. The question is who, and you'll find out when you watch the film. I will note future viewers to watch in Japanese. English dub is fairly poor, knowing Central Park Media is behind the dub. I highly recommend Japanese so the viewers can get a real taste of the characters and mood of the film. The actors are natural, and it's best to keep it that way. All in all, Grave of the Fireflies is one of the most powerful, if not most powerful war movie ever made. It's definitely worth a purchase, because if you are like me, you'll watch it for years on end.