A Story of Regret

Rating: 10/10 (10 November 2008)

First and foremost are some disclaimers: I've only watched this film once, and I'm unlikely to re-watch it anytime soon - seeing that adorable little girl die once is quite enough for me.
Last I checked, there are some 31 pages of comments so I apologise beforehand if what I'm about to say has already been said.
I am not of Japanese descent, neither do I agree with their wartime antics; however, I believe in giving credit where it's due. A good film should be recognised for what it is.
=====
Please let me begin by laying down this basic premise: this is not an anti-war film, at least not at the onset; neither is it an attempt to garner sympathy for the Japanese people, the same people who terrorised half of Asia. It is a story about the last days of the (rather short) life of a teenage protagonist who just happens to be growing up in wartime. A truthful story at that. Call it a confession.
In the trivia section it is mentioned that this film is based on a true story - the author's. That makes sense.
This story, I believe, is about regret. Regret so heart-wrenching that the protagonist allowed himself to wither away and die as self-imposed punishment. Perhaps something the author wished he had done those decades ago. As with all good stories, many subtleties are left unexplained and up to the reader (audience?) to figure out.
=====
This story is all about Seita, the alter-ego of the author. So I shall attempt to offer my own interpretation of this one single character.
Seita is not a lazy kid. He piggie-backs his little sister about, cooks their meals, washes their laundry, carries all their belongings, scavenges, steals, and whatnot.
Seita is brave. He seizes every opportunity to dash into bomb raids - not your typical looter. He appears unfazed and in control when the whole town is up in flames all around him - while adults are in a state of panic. He certainly has courage, whether innate or borne of naivety is anyone's guess.
Seita is a filial son. In the beginning as he was about to flee the bombings, he grabbed his father's photo instead of more valuable possessions. Later on he brings along the ashes of his mother. One scene is particularly good - while sitting on a tram(?) with the urn on his lap, an old lady next to him gives him a disgusted look, but he does not notice. The symbolism of this scene is probably lost to most western audience.
Seita is idealistic - but in a negative way. He is the product of indoctrination, much like his counterparts in nazi Germany (hitler's youths) and later on in maoist China (red guards). This is evident from the following clues: he dresses in pseudo-military garb (hint: the socks), idolises his father in Naval uniform, reminisces about his father's battleship while staring at fireflies (instead of, say, girls), and pauses to gawk at warplanes while standing on a burning street.
Finally, 2 very interesting questions regarding this intriguing character:
1) Why doesn't he find work? I think the reason is that he did not believe his lousy situation will last very long. Afterall japan is invincible, right? His father is one of many brave soldiers, his ironclad battleship with big bad guns will blow all their enemies out of the water, no? His naive belief is only disproved near the end of the film when he hears of the unconditional surrender.
A couple of clues seem to support this: i) he comforted his little sister that their mother's savings can tide them through. Through to what? The end of the war and their father's victorious return, of cos. ii) the scene at the beach, where Seita and Setsuko frolicked in the waves while an old woman, who was collecting seaweed with her grandchild, looked on baffled. The old woman could not understand how those kids could be so carefree in times like this, sadly those kids did not know just how desperate times were and had no authority figure to tell them.
2) Why doesn't he join the army like his aunt suggested? The easiest answer would be that he wants to take care of his little sister, especially since their mother is no longer around. However, supposing he had joined the army, his aunt would've given Setsuko decent care in his absence anyway. Or perhaps Seita secretly loathes the harsh and rigid military life? Personally I am inclined to believe the latter is the reason. (All fantasies about glory are dispelled once they make you march 50km in full gear - true story.)
There ends my rather long-winded analysis of this film. I believe the thing that makes Seita such an interesting character is that he is based on a real person. As such he cannot help but acquire all the confounding and contradictory traits that exist in all of us.
I cannot hope to have been thoroughly correct in my interpretation, but I do hope I have done justice to this film and the story behind it.
-- Jsun