I had the fortune of being able to see Hotaru no Haka on the big-screen in Seattle a couple of years ago. It was truly the high-point of my film festival excursions. At the end of the movie, there was silence, absolute and total silence in the theater - and then, only an occasional sniffle until the end credits had finished rolling and the house lights came up. It would've seemed almost disrespectful to profane the silence with words.

Seeing a movie like this really changes attitudes about war - about who really suffers, and that the honor and glory is shallow comfort when you contemplate what has been lost in the struggle.

I've made the comment to my friends that if you ever see someone who isn't moved (usually to tears) by this movie, you've found someone without a soul. As difficult as it is to watch, turn off the phone, dim the lights, and immerse yourself in the film with ones you love - you will be a better person for it in the end.

There are many other reviews of this movie, and most of them are probably far more comprehensive than my own - I'll conclude by saying that this movie should required viewing at some point (as should the peace museums at Hiroshima and Nagasaki) for everyone.

When you see war and conflict in the news or read about it in the paper, think back to this movie - your perspective will probably be broadened, and your eyes opened a bit more.

I've only watched this movie about 4 times - it usually takes a year or so to "decompress" after watching it. To see it too often would lessen the impact, and that would be the worst possible thing to do to this movie.


I was warned this movie would be emotional, but I had no idea just how understated that was. By the end, my friend and I were huddled together, pouring out tears I've never shed for any movie before. It was a mix of horror, empathy, sadness, and so many more emotions I can't even begin to list.

Visions of this film have haunted me since first watching it, and I would find it hard to watch again, simply from it being so heart-wrenching. Only one movie has ever hit me hard enough to keep me from subjecting myself to it's strong emotions again (The thief, the cook, his wife and her lover).

I strongly urge all to watch this, as it rises well about any films I've seen, anime or not.


This film is utterly emotionally draining whilst being rewarding at the same time.

The animation is both realistic and stylized but that's not the point, the main focus of this film is the character development of the brother and sister protagonists. Their relationship is nothing short of beautiful and touching.

And without spoiling anything I have to say that this film touched me in a way no other film has ever touched me in my adult life. One or two films have upset me and reduced me to watery eyes but Grave of the Fireflies had me in fits of sobbing despair. I was a mess! I'm talking total emotional breakdown. Couldn't talk without sobbing! One of the best films I have EVER seen, animated or not.


Being my first Anime review I thought I'd start off with my one of my favourite pieces of work from who else but Studio Ghibli. Ghibli have rarely produced anime that doesn't fall short of great but Graveyard is something different indeed.

Set in the aftermath of World War II, Graveyard is focused on the lives of a caring brother and his young sister (Setsuko and Seita) and how they struggle against both the elements of wartime and a depreciating Japanese empire. The most striking thing about Graveyard is probably how real everything seems. The animation is very unconventional to the likes of say Spirited Away or Laputa but in a good way. The horror of war is beautifully realised through the animation, whether it be the American destruction being shown or the bleak outlook on peoples lives, namely the two main characters. Thankfully it earns every shred of emotion it conveys through these two sympathetic characters that only the coldest of hearts wouldn't warm up to.

Avoiding any Hollywood sentimentality, it is often a bleak and depressing perspective depicted but all the more brutally powerful in the process. With my eyes welling up through the duration of the film, it occured to me just how well the Director understands what raw heartfelt emotion is and how to play the audiences heart strings. Nevertheless nothing is shown in a heavy handed approach, no empthasis is put on the Americans nor is there any special attention taken to the war details. If anything the citizens of Japan are shown in the coldest light often giving little help to the plight of others, but demonstrating furthermore what desperate situation everyone is in.

Takahata instead decides to focus on the plight of it's title characters against the background of war. With the empire of Japan in crisis and food shortages everywhere it is heart breaking to see a brother struggle to meet ends meet for his sister. Due to the approach taken it borders on being horrifying but fortunately the tone is changed with the spirit put into Setsuko's character. Much like 'The Pianist' the issue is not the war but the struggle and will to survive in it. This is clearly displayed in a plot that revolves around the downward spiral Setsuko trying to feed himself and more importantly the younger and more vulnerable sister Seita. The animation though detailed and indeed beautiful in some sequences (namely relating to the title), is not by any means flashy but captures emotions and interactions between the characters perfectly. It's the perfect mixture of such animation, realistic and highly likeable characters that makes the whole film one tearful experience. Dealing with such difficult issues it's very hard to imagine this being a film and if it was I don't think it would of been done as well.

Part of the brilliance also comes from symbology and the association to many different worlds in such a understanding depiction. The child, Seita, is nothing short of perfection in child like behaviour happily oblivious to the desperate situation, amusing herself with simplicity and the quirks of nature and the outdoors. The older brother Setsuko who must carry the burdon of everything is also perfectly portrayed and to watch there decent is painful to say the least. To struggle is one thing but to have shock, shattered dreams and be depended on is something anyone can empthasise with.

There may be some people who will shy away from Anime, disregarding it as a mere cartoon. To those people and everyone else I recommend Graveyard as the tonic, which can be appreciated by anyone with a heart and soul. Among the finest pieces of Anime created and one of the most touching war films ever made.


During my searches on Anime on the net one day I came across this title. This was 2 years ago.

Then last week I went to an Anime convention and at the DVD stand I saw it. I bought it immediately.

When I got home 3 days later I popped it in. I was warned about it being tragic but nothing could have prepared me for the wave of emotion that hit me while watching it. I was depressed for a whole day. Even thinking about it made me cry..

This is the power of Grave Of The Fireflies..

This is not your typical Dragonball Z/Sailormoon/Pokemon style anime. While I love Sailormoon and some Dragonball Z, Grave Of The Fireflies surpasses it by lightyears. I bought it expecting an epic movie like Ghost In The Shell or Akira but even those paled compared to this.

We have here a story of a 14 year old boy(Seita) who loses his mother in a firebombing during World War 2. He then has to take care of his 4 year old sister(Setsuko). While at first they're taken in by his aunt the relationship between him and his aunt takes a turn for the worst. He then ends up on the street and the struggle begins... It doesn't take a genious to figure out that things get really depressing, yet I won't spoil the ending..

All I have left to say is that you have to see this movie.. It's the most powerful movie I've ever seen... It's painful to watch but still you have to see it...


"Grave of the Fireflies" is one of the most ambitious, depressing, and quite frankly, best films that I've ever seen. I was nearly moved to tears by this film's brave treatment of such critical subject matter. Yes, it's an Anime' piece, but surprisingly, it came out in 1988, during a time where most Japanese animation films were either relentless bloodbaths, borderline pornography, or both.

As a fan of the Anime' genre of film-making, many great pieces have achieved some sort of cult status here in America, yet none have really reached mainstream success. Some have broken through the barrier and have gained acceptance with American critics, like Katsuhiro Otomo's "Akira," or "Princess Mononoke," or "Spirited Away" (both films directed by Hayao Miyazaki). One that I've seen and has been barely mentioned by most critics is "Grave of the Fireflies."

What we have with "Grave of the Fireflies," is a story of innocence lost and two children who ultimately face a losing battle with trying to survive in a small Japanese village in the closing days of World War II. WWII was the costliest conflict in world history, with millions dead and thousands left to pick up the pieces.

In the center of it, are the aforementioned two children, who are pretty much left to fend for themselves after their mother is killed in a bombing raid. Because their father is off fighting in the war and they have no way of contacting any other family, they're sent to live with their aunt, who is at first warm and welcoming to them, but eventually becomes very cruel and the children are forced to live in a nearby bomb shelter. From that point on, the two children embark on a journey that is every bit as unpleasant and difficult as the grim realities of the world around them.

Very easily one of the best Anime' films that I've ever seen (or any animated film for that matter), I find it difficult to believe just how truly overlooked "Grave of the Fireflies" is. The animation is beautiful, though certainly not dated by any means (even though Japanese animation has progressed well since this film was made).

We get a sense of the dread of the two lead characters, who watch as the world around them crumbles into heaps of ashes, and aircraft loom ominously overhead, dropping their deadly, incendiary cargo on unsuspecting Japanese villagers.

The director, Isao Takahata, obviously has a special resentment of the war, but manages to avoid condemning it outright. The director instead lets us focus in on the conflict as seen through the eyes of the two children, who watch unflinchingly as the realities of their world begin to falter before them.

"Grave of the Fireflies" is a bold statement on the condition of the human soul during conflict. I probably shouldn't say this but I am anyways, but this film has to be the "Schindler's List" of animated pieces. It's brave, it's not overly sentimental, but it is relentless in its dramatization of a dangerous reality. It should be required viewing in any high school world history class.

A beautiful film; not to be missed by anyone.


One of the great animated films of all time Grave of Fireflies tells the story of a couple of kids as the try to survive in war time Japan. What happens to them should be seen by anyone thinking of starting a war since it tells very graphically what happens to those often forgotten, the children.

Like its companion piece, Barefoot Gen, which tells the story of survivors of atomic bombing and the horrors that were experienced by those unlucky enough not to have been killed out right, this film proves that war is hell for everyone, especially the children.

Its very hard to send anyone out to see this unhappy little film (The previously mentioned Barefoot Gen spawned sequels, this has not) but at the same time you owe it to yourself to experience, however distantly what sort of monster we unleash upon the world every time we go to war. It helps that however depressing this is, its also a damn good and incredibly compelling story.

9 out of 10


Animation is often seen as a childish medium, and for good reason as kid's films often are animated. However, every now and then an animated film comes along that extends it's boundaries and manages to deliver a very adult story, and Grave of the Fireflies is one of those films. Through it's well observed and very real characters, Grave of the Fireflies portrays a story of loss, heartbreak and the effect of war on civilians in a manner that is more effective and more firmly based in reality than many live action films about the same subject are. We follow Seita and Setsuko, a brother and sister that have lost their parents in the war and are now forced to fend for themselves in the war torn country. How the two go about doing that and the boy's development from a child to a (somewhat) responsible adult due to the change in the surroundings makes up the spine of the movie.

I'm not a big fan of animation, but there are some films that are so great that a person's personal preferences are irrelevant, and this is one of those films. The animation is beautiful and certain scenes, including the air raids and anything with the fireflies are amazing works of art. The way the music blends with the images on screen is haunting and beautiful, and helps add to the tragedy of the story. Because we are able to care for the characters, the tragedy is increased ten fold and the story on the whole is a sad one, but few movies have ever matched up to this film's ending in terms of pure despair. The conclusion is absolutely gut wrenching to an extent that few movies have ever matched, let alone animated pictures. The fact that it's so plain and blatant, with no attempt to console the audience takes the tragedy to a whole new level and I don't doubt that many audience members will be holding back tears upon the film's conclusion.

This film is a must see.


I first saw this film when I first really got into anime in High School. I'd grow up with Naussica and cartoons, and had just seen Akira, then my brother and I rented this.

We sat through the whole thing without saying a word, then when the movie was over we didn't even talk.

Not a simple film. Instead of just making the Americans out to be bad guys, the Japanese people in the children's village either through greed (their aunt) or through indifference (Gardener, Doctor), also play their part in the children's starvation and death. So it's not just about war, or anti-war, though I can't think a better movie to watch about war.

The animation is perfect also. Absolutely beautiful colors.

As another testament to the power of this movie, I decided to sponser a child through Compassion after watching it for the second time, 8 years later.

Everyone should see this one, but be warned, it's not Akira or even a Miyazaki movie. Watch it with an open mind and heart.


Truly one of Studio Ghibli's greatest crowning achievements, GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES is a brilliant masterpiece fully deserving of a place in any of the best movies ever made. Not just an astonishingly great (and, at the risk of coming off as cliché, perfect) work of art, this is a moving, thought-provoking, and ultimately heartbreaking tale about the loss of innocence and the tragedies of war.

Based on an autobiography by Akiyuki Nosaka, the film, set during the bombing of Japan in --of all times-- World War II, centers on Seita, a loving, headstrong Navy soldier's son and his innocent little sister, Setsuko. Their fatal struggle for survival begins right at the start, when both are bombed out of house and home by American B-29s. Mom is seriously wounded and found wrapped in bandages at a hospital, where she dies shortly after. The children move to Nishinomiya to stay with their aunt. Auntie, a cold, bitter, self-serving woman, has no patience with Seita or Setsuko, especially when they would rather chase after fireflies at moonlight, play by the beach, or lounge around the house instead of helping out. After butting heads with Auntie long enough, the children decide to run away, setting up home in an abandoned cave by the lake. Both try by all means to live off of vegetables or whatever food they can afford to trade and/or steal, to no avail....

The outcome of the story is actually showcased at the opening of the movie, where we see a ghostly specter of Seita watching a more malnourished version of himself die a painful, lonely death at a train station. Indeed, as we see how these events came to pass, we find ourselves rooting for Seita and Setsuko to find a way to stay alive, but alas, it is not to be, given Seita's stubborn pride. The overall tone of the movie is of a very tragic nature--even such lighthearted moments as the aforementioned sequences involving Seita and Setsuko playing around the house or gathering fireflies as lights for their cave are all tainted with a touch of sadness, for we know that these brief scenes of happiness will not last.

Who is to blame for the plight of these children? The movie never addresses this question to the audience, nor does it really care to. It would be easy for director Isao Takahata to make this an anti-American movie, but he does better than that. Instead, he aptly conveys that war can spell serious--and deadly--consequences for victims. He also eschews casting any character as a hero or villain, and instead makes this a very human story, with no clear-cut "good" or "bad" characters. The aunt, for example, is not evil; she is merely an angry, desperate woman who is only struggling to survive just as much as Seita and Setsuko are. Atrocious as her treatment of the children is, we somehow never see her as a true baddie, but a very flawed, multi-faceted human being.

Normally one would think of this kind of story as suitable for live-action, but GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES proves that it can be told through the art of animation as well. This is no mindless showcase of gorgeous visuals--although the artistic merits of the movie are, as with Ghibli productions, sumptuous and at times breathtaking--but a display of real characters struggling with very tangible emotions. And the most amazing accomplishment about this movie is how much we grow to care for Seita and Setsuko--their inseparable bond of love and companionship is the heart and soul behind the movie.

There are long stretches of silence on the soundtrack, with music used very sparingly, yet the movie is all the more powerful for it. The most effective moment is where we hear a scratchy rendition of "Home, Sweet Home" over a montage of Setsuko playing by the shelter. It's a simplistic, sweet, yet very saddening moment that not only works in the context of the movie, but on its own as well.

I don't normally say this in my reviews, but I would definitely recommend watching this movie in its native language of Japanese for a truly powerful and memorable experience. That's not to imply, however, that the English dub, produced by New York-based Central Park Media, is inferior; on the contrary. It is, in fact, surprisingly good, with an effective lead in J. Robert Spencer and noteworthy cameo appearances by Anime voice-over actors Veronica Taylor, Crispin Freeman, and Dan Green. Rhoda Chrosite's Setsuko is the one voice that doesn't fare so well; she sounds more like an adult pretending to be a young girl, and comes across as strained during most scenes (save for when she is sick from diarrhea). Still, for those who can't read subtitles, the dub is more than adequate (although not as high-profile as others that I've heard).

Even in a genre as multi-faceted as Japanese Anime, there are few films that literally everyone really MUST see. GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES is one such movie.


**SPOILERS**I saw "Hotaro no haka" on german TV the other day and it has changed my life! Never have I been so moved by a film in my whole life. I cried and cried and cried. Since then I can´t get this heartbreaking story out of my head.

After the movie I went upstairs to the bedroom, where my 3-year-old daughter was sleeping. I woke her up and took her in my arms. In the way she talks and acts she is just like Setsuko, one of the main characters in the film. And I can´t help feeling like Seita, her brother - because my daughter and I are alone since my wife left us a few months ago.

I found one of the most touching scenes was the one where the dying Setsuko starts sucking the buttons she collected, because she ran out of her special sweets. I will also never forget how her brother cremates her after having tried everything to save his little sister. The most depressing thing with this movie is: you feel so helpless. You think: Man, I wish I could have helped those kids.

This movie has changed my whole attitude to life. All the problems you may have - they become so small. Watch it and you´ll be a different person.

Michael Saunders


This is my first review on IMDb.

Japanese animation is something that has always been seen as a different expanse from the animation that we get here in America. Not to say that those films are bad, but the things that we see from oversees in this area are getting to be quite impressive. One studio in particular, the Japanese Disney, if you will, Studio Ghibli. Best known as the creative force behind Spirited Away and other Miyazaki films, we forget to see some of the other films that have come from the minds that reside there in. I am talking of Isao Takahata, always by Miyazaki's side, but never really given the credit he deserves. Without this man, there wouldn't be a Studio Ghibli. He is a key character in the development of any and all films to come from the studio, and most likely created the best feature to come forth.

"Grave of the Fireflies" is, quite possibly, the best animated feature of our time. When a film is done without a camera, when acting is without seeing your actors, and when cinematography is but a pencil line, you have to think about how to rate such a movie. Well, this is the standard on which all animation should be based. The movie is subtle in everything it conveys, but subtle in a way where it can't be ignored. You feel for these characters represented on that screen, and it makes you forget that you aren't watching something "animated". The truly beautiful thing about this movie is that as you watch the film, you want to see good things happen to these kids...Yet, as the movie opens, you see the main character, a boy named Seita, die right before your eyes. Immediate and profound. The film opens, and then you have a narration heard over head, that goes like this...

"In 1945, on the night of September 21, I died." You hear this almost omniscient voice as the visual shows a boy, tattered and bone thin, propped against a pillar in a train station. Then, as the narrative comes to a close, the boy slouches over, and says in a final breath, "Setsuko". Not in anyway is this "cartoony" either, his eyes remain open, his mouth agape, and you can just sense that this is the main character of our story. Our "hero" is destined to die, and you have to watch the movie show it as it enfolds. A young child will die, and there is no stopping that from coming, no matter how attached you get to that boy. He will die. How harrowing is that? It gets worse when you see the corpse being riddled of its possessions by a security guard. Welcome to the movie. Like many films, though this has a "G" rating, you have to see where I stand on that. Already this movie is too much for a child to handle or grasp, and that rating will be misinterpreted as something of a children's movie. Though, being animated, it already has that covered. It's sad, in my opinion, that such a good film as this will remain lost to so many because of simple thinking like that.

The movie has you know that all hope you will gain for these characters is futile, that life is never that easy. To keep you realizing this, they have the spirits, or Rei, of Seita and Setsuko (his younger sister) watching on as the events unfold. They appear at times throughout the film where the emotions are high, to keep you in this mold of reality. That means the whole movie is one big flashback, in a sense, but that really doesn't matter. It's the story of two children, lost in the slew of war. People are harsh, and war is unfair. Yoou can't choose who is effected by war, because everyone is, and these are the things that this movie causes you to realize. Other movies involving war have shown this, but it is from the eyes of a child that this gains it's impact. They never lose their innocence, and that is what makes this story so compelling. They are just kids. I'm not going to ruin the events of the story for you all, I wouldn't want to tarnish the way you view this film in the least. I will, however, like to sincerely recommend that you find this film, and that you watch it, with no stereotypes of animation. You haven't seen something like this, trust me. It belongs on the list of great war movies, but also on one of the greatest stories ever told. Compelling through and through, I have bought three versions of the movie. Subtitled is best, as it shows not only the original intent, but the true nature of the films culture. This movie remains one of the focal points in the argument of "anime" being much more than animated movies from Japan. They can be like any other film, and at times they can beat out most other films,and this is the example to prove it. A beautiful movie, and one that should be seen by anyone who respects movies.


For the first time, I have decided to write a comment. You have seen enough reviews and ratings (and rantings). I prefer to address the commmon ways in which this movie has been misinterpreted.

Many reviewers, both American and others, seem to have mistaken this movie for either a tear jerker or a political statement. In essence, it is neither. The novel it is based on is simply an expression of the guilt and pain felt by the author.

To those who feel that it is a politically motivated story, or it only portrays suffering on part of the Japanese: Quite simply...it is not. The war scenes are not there for drama, they are there to place the situation into context. It is my opinion that your personal prejudices are coming into play. Being a patriotic American, I can state (not without shame) that there are plenty of mindless American movies which portray Americans as either heroes or victims (usually both) and their purpose (as with all flicks) is $. It is my sincere opinion that Akiyuki Nosaka's motives were far purer when he wrote this. He was looking for closure and writing a tribute to his sister at the same time.

To those who feel revulsion towards Seita and feel that the war scenes were pointless: As mentioned earlier, all the the war scenes do is place the story in context. They are not there to excuse Seita's actions in any way. The story clearly shows that there is no absolution for Seita (Akiyuki Nosaka's alter-ego). He bares his shortcomings and imperfections (as seen from his own eyes) for the world to see and feel repulsed by in the hope to find some solace for his own guilty heart. I've dragged this on far too long and I have a test tomorrow morning.

Cheers!


This is one of the most touching stories I have ever seen. Everything about it clicked beautifully. It was sensitive and emotional, without feeling sappy or too manipulative.

The contrast between a teenage boy and a little girl trying to live their lives, and the ravages of war around them was a very strong and moving idea.

The standard conceits of anime with large sappy eyes and small mouth movements with short pithy dialog wasn't at all distracting in this.

(Spoiler warning)

One of my favorite scenes is the sequence when Seito gets caught for stealing and is taken to the police, thus forced to abandon his little sister. The officer turns out to be very understanding, and the young teen Seito is quickly released; only to find that his sister has followed him into town, and is more concerned for him than her own well-being. The contrasts and emotions of the scene are very deep and effective. I loved it because it said a lot without being too heavy-handed.

In fact, one of the greatest attributes of this story is its gentle underhanded approach. A few little moments add up to a great deal of philosophical themes, which whole pages of text couldn't really describe.

It's really great to see an animated film deal with a very serious and tragic subject matter, once in a while.


''Hotaru no Haka'' (Brazillian title : ''Túmulo dos Vagalumes'') is a very sad and moving film about the second war in Japan,focusing in the difficulties of a brother(Seita) and a sister(Setsuko).After their mother is killed in an air raid and their father was also killed working in Japan's navy army, Seita needs to be responsible for his little sister Setsuko,a very adorable and sweet little girl. They both go to their aunt's house to live, but after knowing that Setsuko and Seita are now orphans,their aunt changes her behavior and starts to be cruel and annoying with them. Seita stays tired of that, and decides that is best to him and Setsuko to live in a different place, that is a kind of an abandoned shelter. Having problems to find supplies and needing to steal to have something to he and Setsuko eat, Seita and Setsuko gradually starts to have many health problems. Setsuko even goes to the doctor, since she is with malnutrition and diarrhea, but in war times, everything gets even more difficult.

Even if you are not an anime (japanese cartoons) fan, this movie is worth of watching.


This film proves without any doubt that animation isn't just suited to tales of fantasy, sci-fi or cartoon comedy and violence. This absolutely heartbreaking Japanese anime tells the story of a young boy, Seito and his younger sister, Setsuko, as they attempt to survive the American bombings on Japan in the last year of World War II.

The story itself, based on a true story, is powerful enough but the decision to animate the film truly elevates this film to a higher level. This would have been a powerful enough live action drama, along the lines of Spielberg's Empire of the Sun or even Schindler's List. However, the Studio Ghibli team, have brought an extraordinary amount of life to all the characters, but especially the young siblings. Now we're not talking realism as such here - the characters are in no way photo-realistic, they do have the usual characteristics of Japanese anime humans, large eyes and exaggerated expressions. What this achieves however is a heightened level of subtle nuances in expression which are arguably more powerful and provocative than anything a real-life actor may achieve. Some may claim this is overly manipulative or sentimental, but coupled with the characters movements and actions, it gives the characters such a strong, and very human, presence. You truly care for these kids, which is an astonishing achievement. The voice cast (original Japanese) contributes significantly here also.

It is the tiny moments which give this film so much power and emotional depth - from subtle expressions to brief scenes showing Seito playing with his sister at bath time, attempting, unsuccessfully, to cheer her up when she misses her mother. The painted backgrounds are works of art in themselves, just beautiful. And of course the scenes with the fireflies bring a touch of pure magic - a heightened innocent reality to contrast the horrific realities of the war.

The greatest achievement of this film is that, apart from a couple of obviously sentimental scenes, such as Setsuko's sobbing or illness, it doesn't force any false emotion on the viewer. It really comes from your involvement with the characters. It's completely honest to it's own story and even cuts off scenes abruptly, which could potentially have been milked for cheap sentiment. It often seems to say - This is what happened, you don't need to see anymore. Another of it's strengths is that it really doesn't comment on the politics of the war in any way, just the effects on innocent people.

This is an intensely moving film and a masterpiece of animation. If you aren't moved by these characters, you really need to check your pulse. 10/10


I heard about this movie from Roger Ebert's list of great movies, so I decided to give it a try. Anime is a recent interest of mine, and I was impressed with "Spirited Away" and "Princess Mononoke", but only a faint warning from others about this movie was the only preparation I had for the ninety-some minutes of this film. This film was nothing like "Spirited Away" or "Princess Mononoke". For an animation film, "Grave of the Fireflies" surprised me in the style it was portrayed. The atmosphere of this movie was seemingly like the Italian neorealist films of the 1950s, like De Sica's "Umberto D.", but it also had the precision and care of what was portrayed on the screen like Yasujiro Ozu and his "Tokyo Story", "Floating Weeds", and his other masterpieces.

Like De Sica and other Italian neorealist directors, "Grave of the Fireflies" simply portrays life as it truly is; in this movie it was the aftermath of the World War II bombings on a Japanese town. Nothing is held back, but nothing is shoved into your face and fabricated like some popular Vietnam War movies. Like Japanese directors like Ozu, there is a great care in how this story is portrayed. Pillow shots are utilized greatly in this movie; that means that a scene will be played out, and then there will be static shots of scenery (not necessarily have to be stunningly beautiful), but it gives the audience some time to contemplate on what happened. For only a ninety-minute film, "Greve of the Fireflies" is a very well-developed movie with only what is essential, with great and peaceful pillow shots for contemplation and meditation. Also like Ozu especially, this movie utilizes many still shots, especially in key scenes where the emotions are at its unprecedented peaks for an animation film. Rarely will the background frames move, except in displaying panoramic views. And also like Ozu, this movie keeps the focus on family struggles, always a favorite topic for Yasujiro Ozu. It is about a teenager boy and his younger sister trying to cope with the aftermath of a bombing on their town. That is all I will say about the plot of this film.

The combination of this Italian neorealism and Yasujiro Ozu's camera-like ethics make this film a great film to watch. But because this film is an animated film, the influential combinations can take almost anybody by surprise. Animation can simplify matters in the mise-en-scene to amplify the essential and thus creating more emotion out of this film. But there is so much care in this film that it deserves its respect as probably one of the best movies (real or animated) ever. Since it is portrayed in an everyday-type feeling, the emotions running are powerful. This is definitely the best animation film ever, and can be on the list of the top twenty most powerful films.


First of all I'd like to explain why I gave this film a 10. I don't rate in comparison to other films because I take each film on its own, and I couldn't fault this film one bit. I was thinking of rating it a 9 just because it was a bit short in length but then again I thought that it was that good that I wanted more. The animation is amazing. You forget that it's just drawings one after another, and then you see something so breathtaking and you realise why the creators decided to make this an anime. To be honest I was expecting nothing less from studio Ghibli. The story is haunting in its simplicity. They are right to say its one of the best anti-war movies of all time. The creators don't even try to present the then Japanese empire as something magnificent, on the contrary. They give us the raw nature of the human kind and most of all the unspoilt love that can only be found between siblings. I watched the subtitled version of the film. It's truly worth it. The laughter of the small girl still haunts me and I'd love to watch this film again and again


This is a remarkable film. The sort of animated move that would never be made in the west. An animated film that deals with adult themes and achieves it with excellence. This is the story of a brother and sister orphaned by the second world war in Japan, who end up having to fend for themselves. Everything here is achieved with excellence. I watched the subtitled version (which I always feel is best) and was really taken aback by the great little film. This film deals with the harsh realities of a civilization under siege and also with Japanese culture superbly and the director here must tack a huge amount of credit. There are scenes of great emotion as the film works it's way to a hugely emotive ending. Superb. One to be viewed again and again.


Now I'm usually your typical Die-Hard, Guns Blazing, Sword Swinging, Magic Wielding Anime fan! So there shouldn't really be any surprises when I say that "Grave of the Fire Flies" is not ranked among my list of all time favourites. And the prospect of watching it didn't sound too appealing to me at first, considering the rather subdued DVD case cover...(I know, I'm ashamed)

That said, this film is a masterpiece of story telling, the calibre of which my current favourite films pale in comparison. I don't think I've ever been more moved by any other films, period!!! I've vowed never to see this film again, as I think revisiting it would lessen the emotional impact of the first viewing. In any case I don't think I need to re-watch it as it's been burned into my memory forever.

This is a film that I hate and love at the same time. The beautiful story and the capturing of facial expressions which only a hand drawn animation could fully realise. On the other hand the film reduced me to sobbing wreck, a bitter sweet ending which left me so depressed it took me another two days to get over...

Its a must see, but be sure to have lots of tissue paper on hand. I'm temped to say it's a life changing experience, certainly has been for me. The rest I leave to you to decide.


Most of the famous war films ever made, like "Saving Private Ryan" and "Cross of Iron", usually try to show the film and the war from the point of view of soldiers, those who fought in there. It is rare to see a film from the point of view of the innocent victims of the war. Probably the most famous film of victims is Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List". Even rarer is an animated film of victims of war. Animations in western countries are usually labeled as children's stuff, so it is no wonder Disney has refused to distribute this film, one of the Studio Ghibli's greatest works.

"September 21, 1945 that was the night I died"

With those words starts director Isao Takahata's most famous film, "Grave of the Fireflies" (Hotaru no haka, 1988). Unlike his long time friend and colleague Hayao Miyazaki, Takahata prefers to leave fantasy elements in his films to minimum. This is the way how Takahata amazes viewers. If Miyazaki's fantastic visions make our jaws drop to floor with amazement, Takahata's close to reality stories touch us deeply by hitting our emotions. And "Grave of the Fireflies" certainly does that masterly, being the only film that has ever managed to move me to the point of tears (and I am *not* a teary guy).

The film, based on a novel by Akiyuki Nosaka, tells the story of a young boy named Seita, who with his little sister Setsuko, lives in the 1940's Japan, during the World War II. After loosing their mother during a bombing, Seita does everything in his power to create an illusion for Setsuko that things are fine and there is nothing to worry about. The film has been often blamed of being too depressing and having a sad end, but I think it's the opposite. Of course this certainly is not the kind of film to make you smile, but it is already revealed in the beginning that both brother and sister will die. So when we reach the end of the movie, with an image of them as spirits, sitting on a bench looking happy and healthy, with a modern day city around them, this is actually a happy ending after all the suffering they went through.

It's very hard to say exactly why this film should deserve full stars from me. It just does. It's full of little beautiful scenes that instantly have an effect on you, accompanied by Michio Mamiya's peaceful music. Maybe the fact that it can make me wonder why it is so good is the proof enough to make it a masterpiece. And that is what "Grave of the Fireflies" is; a masterpiece. One of the most amazing films from Studio Ghibli and Isao Takahata's most famous film. And definitely the ultimate proof that animations can be used for other than children's stories.


I went into this film with the knowledge that it was sad, and all the way through I could see how things were being set up for a sad ending. But it still got to me, which is a credit to the film. The depiction of the dead mother is unsettling, and the story of the brother and sister is heartbreaking. The scene that really got me was when Setsuko died, and the images of her life are shown. Particularly the part where it shows her playing by herself when her brother was out finding food. The movie is so effective is saddens me just writing this. I admit that this movie brought me to tears. The music and the images compliment each other beautifully. Unfortunately, the whole storyline seemed a bit rushed and unfinished, without much justification given for certain actions. For example, the story of the aunt isn't really told. The movie was still great, but could have been enhanced with a more detailed storyline.


This is one of the most powerful war-time dramas I have ever experienced. I expected a certain amount of sentiment throughout the movie but I certainly did not think the realities of war from the point of view of two orphans would be this harshly portrayed. The film was quite hard to digest for the simple fact that the older brother, Seita, can be easily sympathized with but at the same time, we realize that the situation he is in is his own doing. His pride came in the way and watching him struggle with his sister is just too heart-breaking. I really didn't expect an anime to produce *the* most depressing ending ever and I was totally not prepared to witness it but i am still glad I saw the movie. It was simply terrific.


In 1988 Grave of the Fireflies was placed on a double-bill alongside My Neighbor Totoro. Two of the most endearing films ever created- animated of otherwise- were paired alongside one another, more than likely to balance each other out; after being submersed in a pure tale of innocence and delight like Miyazaki's great film, there could be accepted such a bleak, heartbreaking story of survival. And both films, incidentally, were based on true experiences, and while Miyazaki's story wasn't without some sadness in real life (his mother was really sick with TB in the hospital), Akiyuki Nosaka's story is one drenched in the worst horrors imaginable for a child. It's basically about two siblings, an older brother and younger sister, who are left practically orphans in a Japan completely devastated by the constant barrage of bombs falling all around, and with very little hope in sight. This lays the groundwork for their relationship, a bond very fragile and incredibly endearing.

Not since Rossellini and De Sica had a filmmaker, in this case Isao Takahata, touched a nerve so deeply etched out in deconstructing the horrors of wartime. By leaving us with these two characters, who piece by piece are stripped of their innocence in just the simple task of fending for themselves in a shelter (they at first stay with an aunt who considers them freeloaders) and scrounging for food any way possible, we're left with nothing else but their struggle, essentially. The backdrop itself almost becomes abstract, something so huge that we don't even know that it's Americans dropping the bombs, as it's already too much to grasp that a child's parent is no longer with them. Like Elie Wiesel's book Night, the backdrop and horror is used to pit these people in an untenable situation, and it can only end, honestly, without compromise.

So, indeed, Grave of the Fireflies is bleak as hell, but compelling because it doesn't stray from its path with these characters, and that in many scenes we're connected to them without the overbearing heart-tugs of a common Disney feature (though, ironically, as Ebert points out on an interview with the DVD, the big eyes in most anime is based upon those in early Disney films). The animation is exceptionally refined without being excessive in violence; images are visceral for just what is briefly revealed, without the extraneous shots that one might see in a work not meant in a G-rated film (i.e. when Seita sees her mother, dead and wrapped in bandages with the maggots and bugs crawling all over), and at the same time there's a sense of wonderment as the two children watch the fireflies in the shelter. The voice-work, too, doesn't strain credulity- these sound like, if it were a regular live-action feature, the kids who would play these parts (and, speaking of neo-realism, the two credited for Seita and Setsuko never worked before or again).

Most often, the film is heart-rending because of how things build with the situation. It's tragic enough to see the loss of the mother on the son, but then to hide it from the little girl becomes a greater challenge. Each time a layer of emotional defense is peeled back, it becomes harder not to connect strongly with these characters, such as when Seiko casually says she knows her mother is dead as she buries the fireflies and Seita finally cries out for the first time, or when Seita is left broken and humiliated after being beat up by the farmer for stealing food for sick Setsuko. And, finally, there's the last ten or so minutes, which I won't mention here. Suffice to say it's one of those times in movies where the opening of the film- Seiko dying homeless and famished- is explained to a perfect degree by film's end. It's a harrowing experience, and one of the very best animated films.


I'd heard that this film was very sad before I saw it and knew how it ended but that didn't prepare me for just how harrowing this film was.

Instead of focusing on the military this war film focuses on two children, Seita a boy in his early teens and Setsuko his four year old sister. The action is not fast paced as we follow the children's lives from the death of their mother in a fire-bombing raid through a stay with an unpleasant aunt and trying to live on their own in an abandoned air raid shelter to their inevitable end. By taking it slowing and showing the mundane aspects of their lives the viewer grows to care about the characters, especially the delightful Setsuko to such an extent that that I was smiling during flash backs showing her playing while simultaneously sobbing at her loss.

This is not a film to be watched if one is depressed but it should certainly be seen by as many people as possible at least once, it may show two children in war torn Japan but it could easily be set in any war zone at any time in history.


The way that this movie involves you is completely unbelievable.

What impressed me the most was the way that the movie started. Not at first. As i saw the beginning i was really absent of any emotion, just another bum. I guess i'm a product of society and really don't see the story behind that person. As i saw the movie it moved me, i loved the characters and the way the story was told. A sad story, but told in a positive way.

I didn't cried during the movie, i loved how the author didn't exaggerated on the little girl's death.

The problem was when after finishing seeing the movie i went back and saw the first minutes, and then... oh boy did i cried. Not just another bum now..

I guess the humanity that the movie transmits and the way that it does so, is incredible.


Let me just state before anything else: 10/10. And not just a begrudging, 'I can't find anything wrong with it soo...' kind of ten, but a very solid and well earned and freely given 10/10.

OK, now that we've gotten that out of the way. Wow! This movie reminds me of the phenomenon James Joyce describes in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man as 'aesthetic arrest'. Basically, he divides all media into high art and pornography. He states that anything purporting itself as art that resorts to playing on the emotional responses of the consumer is actually just pornography. So if you find yourself overly moved on an emotional level, you have actually experienced low, pornographic art. If, however, the film (or other work) causes 'aesthetic arrest'; a feeling that transcends emotion and makes the consumer nail him or herself to the spot and experience the work over and over; makes one question his or her own responses and definitions of truth, beauty and the like; the consumer is in aesthetic arrest and the work represents high art. In short, low art affects the glands whilst high art affects the soul. 'Grave of the Fireflies' certainly seems to fit well in that latter category.

I found this movie so amazing because it always had me on the verge of tears but never made cry. At 88 minutes, every image and every sound carries significance with nothing in just for the sake of bathos and sentimentality. Rarely does one find a cartoon where inanimate objects hold such deep symbolic meanings on their own, with no attempts made to underscore or personify them with wacky celebrity voices.

Making this film as anime was the obvious way to go. If it had featured live-action, I think the sadness of the story would have overpowered the beauty of the message. I don't think I would have been able to watch real actors go through the events experienced by the animated characters. These animated performances somehow seem to transcend acting. They seem more indelible, more real to me. I am tempted to buy this movie, but then, I don't see why I should since one viewing seems to have grafted these images onto my very soul.

Indescribably haunting, human and surreal. Best cartoon I've ever seen and up there with Citizen Kane, Naked and the other Great Ones


Out of all of the Studio Ghibli films this World War II animation is my favourite. Set in Japan during the Second World War the story follows Seita and his little sister Setsuko as they survive in a harsh war torn nation in which food and luxuries are short due to wartime efforts.

As the narrative progresses the emotional strain of the war is apparent in the way the plot flows. The emotional bond between the brother and sister and the sheer effort of survival.

As the film reached it's climax I began to shed tears. Some films move you but Grave of the fireflies simply shatters your hope and well being. As you sympathise with the characters their deteriating condition simply tears away at you emotional strings.

The animation is a gritty realism, rather different from the standard principles of animation in which exaggeration is almost necessary to translate emotion to the viewer. But Grave of the fireflies is done so well that even with realistic animation the emotion of the scene translates to the audience.

For those of you who haven't seen this film I truly envy you. Because you get the opportunity to watch one of the greatest films of all time for the first time, an experience I wish I could relive.


For a lot of movies I don't gauge my appreciation by emotional impact. For many genres you do not want emotional impact--science fiction, action, adventure, etc. But when I see a drama and the story or events are so gripping that I get involved with the characters and cry for them and with them, then that is a really good movie.

And if a movie can make me share a character's despondency and weep for a while, then that it is a GREAT movie. It is art.

//Spoiler Grave of the Fireflies has made me weep for humanity. A child should never have to yell at an adult, "where the hell can I get food?" and get nothing but stares blank and empty. The image of this, followed by the malnourished girl smiling at her last taste of watermelon before driftng off into death sleep... Overpowering.


This is a very touching film, which has always fascinated me as I do have an interest in feral children. The film, based on David Kendall's novel 'Lazaro', revolves around young Lazaro, a child raised deep in the Amazonian jungle by his mother following the death of his priest father before he was born. Mother and son live a happy, idyllic life until gold-hunters enter their territory and end up murdering Lazaro's mother. Left to fend for himself, he is then taken in by the dolphins who live in the river and protect their human charge from predators as they would their own calves. Some years later, when Lazaro is about ten or so, he is then found and brought to the city where his father's mentor vows to care for him and make him civilised. But Lazaro is more intent in revenge when he sees the man who killed his mother...

The acting from Alessandro Rabelo, who plays Lazaro, and Ajay Naidu, who was cast in the role of Lazaro's best friend, was excellent. You can't help but grow attached to the boys and care for their plight. Charles Durning also gave a masterful performance as the priest who just wanted to do right by Lazaro; he had such a rapport with young Rabelo, leaving the audience convinced of the growing bond between the two. The haunting music only adds to the sense of mysticism and spirituality conjured up by the storyline of the film.

'Where the River Runs Black' really is a one of a kind and I highly recommend it to anyone just looking for something that bit different. It touches many issues, from the plight of rescuing feral children (is there a point where they should just be left alone?) to whether we have a right to seek vengeance when we are wronged to environmental issues (the cutting down of the rain forests). It's a film that stays with you forever.


"Where the River Runs Black" (1986 - 97 minutes), directed by Christopher Cain, is a beautiful adaptation for the cinema of the awarded novel "Lazaro", of David Kendall. The film mix religion and mysticism when tells the history of a boy created in the Amazonian forest that is taken to be educated in an orphanage. The tram starts when an American missionary, the idealistic priest Mahoney (the actor Peter Horton) - that works in the region where the waters of the River Amazon becomes black -, knows a mysterious and sensual woman. A child is born of this relation and Mahoney dies. The boy, Lazarus, is played by a 10 years old Brazilian boy, Alessandro Rabelo who carried out the film side by side to the experienced actor Charles Durning (priest O'Reilly). Educated in the forest, Lazarus develops a strange relation with the "botos" (dolphins of the Amazon River). Of the wonderful landscapes of the Amazonian forest to the dirty and hard urban scenes, the story of magical realism maintain its attraction due to the delirious photograph of Juan-Ruiz Anchia. Entirely filmed in Brazil, the film had the participation of some Brazilian technicians and actors as Marcos Flaksman, Chico Diaz and Ariel Coelho


One of my all time favorite "Jungle" movies.

I first heard about this movie when I was living down south and a friend of mine mentioned it to me. A local TV station at that time, late 1980s, was trying to have it blocked for some reason. I never did get to see it at that time. A year later, a girlfriend of mine at the time told me about the movie and how much she loved it, so I told her what had happened in that little town down south. She'd told me that was stupid the move was awesome and if I ever got the chance to see it. Two years later, back in New York, I came across the movie for sale in a video store and snatched it up thinking I had to see what all this was about.

I wasn't disappointed.

However, for a short while after viewing the movie the fist time around, I did keep an eye out for large snakes hanging out in trees whenever I went hiking or cannoning. . .

Lazaro, after loosing his father--look out for big snakes--and later his mother, lives alone in the jungle for a short while. The villagers down the river eventually come to call him the Dolphin Boy, because he's often seen swimming with dolphins and they even believe he can become one and swim away if in danger. Later Lazaro is caught by fisherman and taken to a church and that's when the story takes a twisting turn that I found very interesting and thoughtful. I did get a kick out of watching them try and give the Jungle Boy a hair cut or make him wear sneakers. And there is one scene where Lazaro wants to share a snack he caught with his new friend that I found both funny and touching.

For some reason this story touched something deep inside me and I've loved it ever since. Visually it was very pleasing with lush jungles and the contrasting open mine pits looking like gaping wounds in the Garden of Eden. The young actors (brothers) who play Lazaro are very convincing in their portrayal of a child of the rain forest, very well acted and believable, and as other's have pointed out, very stunning looking.

It'd be great if they made more movies like this one . . . But as someone has already mentioned, movies like this come along maybe once ever ten or so years.


I was fourteen years of age when I first saw this film. For me, the experience was magical. I didn't know what this film had that created an aura of mysteriousness and intrigue, but I remember seeing it again a few years later and looking everywhere to purchase a copy.

The young boy, Lazarus, has an affinity with the dolphins of the Amazon jungle and it is wonderfully captured in the screenplay. As young actors go, this boy is wonderful as Lazarus. His expressions are true to life and the scenes where he is brought from the wild to adapt to civilisation are naturally brought out. The scene where he is mischievous with his orphan friend under the water tap captures the magical experience of childhood.

The scene where his father rows quietly along the river makes you feel as if you're in the boat with him.

I think you need to watch this film two or three times to fully appreciate the story it is telling.


I haven't seen this movie for years, but it has always "haunted" me, and I have never been able to forget it. I have frequently looked for it on DVD, hoping to see it pop up in stores or on Amazon, but it is apparently only available online as used VHS. I don't own it in any form, so I am wondering what the latest news is as to a future release on DVD.

Since I was very young, I have been a fan of jungle movies. Many of them have had shallow and silly plots, but this movie is about the human spirit's ability to survive. It is a beautiful story, and is visually stunning. It's right up there with "The Emerald Forest" which came out the same year.


I first saw this film on the Arts and Entertainment channel (A&E) in the 1960s when i was teaching in Montserrat. The next time it was screen i made sure my students saw it. What a wonderful experience! Since then, I periodically search Amazon.com in the hope that some company will have put it into DVD format. If anyone knows where it is available on DVD please send me a message. And those of you who haven't seen it, it's well worth your time. The film centers around issues that are so much in focus these days. We see the relationship between the Church and the indigenous people- the clash between both cultures. There is also the very topical issue of the exploitation of the Amazon environment and the relationship between the boy and river. The nature child learns that human civilization also has some lethal crocodiles. The script is beautiful and all the performances are excellent.


This is a powerful story and a beautiful movie. Worth seeing if you can find it. The photography and the images are stunning. I saw the movie last on a Olympic cruise down the Amazon which made it even more magical.

The movie tells the story of Lazaro, son of a priest and a beautiful woman who lived deep in the Amazon jungle. When Lazaro's mother is killed the dolphins raise him and the local Indians begin to call him Dolphin Boy believing he is part human, part dolphin. It is a powerful story of Lazaro's conflicts with society but it is also the conflict between nature and man or progress. As others have commented it is the kind of movie that only comes along once every ten years.

If you enjoy the movie you should look for the original book Lazaro by David Kendall. The imagery in the book is so vivid in some ways it is better than the movie.


It starts with a touch of awesome music and a priest making his way to give his confession to another priest. The story is his confession. He tells how he feels he has sinned against God, by allowing an event to take place. Lazaro is a young boy, raised dolphins in the jungle, after his mother is raped and killed (before his very eyes), by wicked men! The priest (Charles Durning) befriends Lazaro and tries to make the boy civilized. But Lazaro is vengeful toward the men who killed his mother, and has the opportunity to strike back!


This is the second and final collaboration between director Christopher Cain, cinematographer Juan Ruiz Anchía, and composer James Horner. Two years earlier, these three men collaborated on one of the best 1980s dramas, "The Stone Boy". Although all the factors of that earlier film are present here, it's a very much different experience. "Where the River Runs Black" is a somewhat hybrid action/adventure/fantasy film, with enough acting power in front of the camera to make it dramatically compelling. Many fine performances appear throughout the story. Alessandro Rabelo, as the main character Lazaro is engaging. Charles Durning, Peter Horton, and Divana Brandão all give very committed performances. Durning lends depth and credibility to each word he speaks.

Visually, this film is extremely well realized, though the VHS release gives somewhat less evidence of that (it's yet to be put out on DVD). Juan Ruiz Anchía creates many stunning sequences. There is a slow motion scene of Lazaro running through the rain that took my breath away. The visual sense of the film offers much to keep the viewer interested. On top of that, the music of James Horner constantly brings back themes of longing and beauty. It's a wonderful soundtrack.

Overall, the story is a bit too disconnected to make this a truly great film. The many changes in pace and focus make it feel like many different films at once, and not necessarily to its benefit. For a children's film (though I hate to categorize something only as such), it is very good. The constant changes is style should keep kids interested. I certainly recommend "Where the River Runs Black", but it's not quite as believable is it should be, and not quite as balanced, even for a fantasy. It's certainly worth watching once, maybe twice. But wait for the DVD if you really want to see it as it was meant to be seen.


There couldn´t have been a better pay-per-view for the WWF to open the year 2001, because it is almost perfect. This pay-per-view contains 5 matches:

Women´s Championship Match: Ivory vs. Chyna The least interesting match of the evening. I´m not a favorite of women´s wrestling because most women in the WWF can´t wrestle all too well. Except for Chyna of course.

Tag-Team Championship Match: The Dudley Boyz vs. Edge & Christian

All I can say about this match-up is that they have had better ones in the past.

Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit

This was a good solid match with two of the better wrestlers within the WWF.

WWF Championship Match: Kurt Angle vs. Triple H This match-up could have been better, but it was entertaining.

30-man Royal Rumble Match The highlight of the evening. The best royal rumble ever, because there were so many great superstars involved in this match, such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, Kane, Rikishi, etc. It also contained the surprising return of the Big Show and some guest entrances from The Honky Tonk Man and Drew Carey. This certainly was a perfect rumble.


2001 definitely was the best year for WWF and its first PPV starts things off nicely.

TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH: Dudleys against Edge and Christian a pretty good opener, the Dudleys are always great to watch but there wasn't much coming from Edge and Christian. there didn't seem to be any real threat but it was still pretty solid. lol when the two canucks try to hit D-Von on either side of the head with two steel chairs, he ducks and they bash off each other. Dudleys get a 3-D for the win. 7/10 INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE MATCH - LADDER: Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit most action packed match of the night with both men using the ladder and other weapons. i think it was the longest match, Benoit tried a suicide dive but got whacked with a chair from Y2J, Jericho put him in the walls of Jericho while they were both on top of the ladder. Benoit tried a diving headbutt but missed and bounced his head off the mat. Jericho hit him in the back with a steel chair and caused him to flop out of the ring. Jericho climbs the ladder and gets the title belt. 9/10 WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Ivory vs Chyna this goes to prove that Chyna shouldn't wrestle women. it's a pretty one sided match with Chyna tossing Ivory around the ring like a rag doll and having fun with her outside the ring. she goes back inside and tries a handspring back elbow but injures her neck, allowing Ivory to climb on top of her and get the pin. 5/10 WWF CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Kurt Angle w/Trish Stratus vs Triple H w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley pretty good bout between two good wrestlers. Triple H of course can't stick to the rules for long and has Stephanie distract the referee so he can hit Kurt's ankle with a steel chair. Kurt gets the upper hand in the middle of the match and Stephanie's voice as she cheers on her husband is like nails on a blackboard. The game cheats again by using the ropes for leverage as he puts Kurt in an Indian deathlock. Trish breaks the hold and Stephanie slaps her. the two have a catfight and Vince comes down to separate them and has to carry Trish over his shoulder while Stephanie chases after them. the ref gets knocked out so he can't count to 3 when Triple H lands the pedigree. Stone Cold comes out and attacks Triple H. Kurt and the referee come round and Kurt gets the pin. 8/10 ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH: It started with the Hardy Boyz double teaming Bull Buchanan and Farooq but eliminating each other with a surprise appearance from Drew Carey. Kane dominates the match but it becomes hardcore as Raven, Al Snow and Steve Blackman bring weapons. The Honky Tonk Man shows up, sings his song and gets whacked over the head with his guitar by Kane. The Rock shows up and so does Big Show and gets eliminated early, he chokeslams Rock through the announce table in revenge. Undertaker comes in and him and Kane clear house. poor Scotty 2 Hotty has to enter alone with both of them. Stone Cold arrives but gets ambushed by Triple H before he can enter the ring. The One Billy Gunn, Haku and Rikishi enter and the final 4 is Stone Cold, Rock, Billy and Kane. Stone Cold wins and celebrates with beer. it would have been better if Billy or the Rock had won because Stone Cold was way overrated at this time. 8/10


Along with Backlash, Fully Loaded and Summerslam (all year 2000), this was is one of my favorite WWF pay-per-views. Aside from Ivory vs Chyna (which was inexcusable crap), every match was solid and excellent. The Dudley Boyz vs Edge & Christian for the Tag Team Titles was very exciting and a good starter for the great pay-per-view. Kurt Angle vs Triple H for the WWF Title was very good, though it ended differently than I expected. Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho for the Intercontinental Title was the best match of the night and definitely the best of the year so far.

And of course there was the main event, the Royal Rumble itself. It was very exciting and entertaining, with great action moments and very funny moments too. It featured the returns of the Big Show, Al Snow and Haku. It included funny moments from Drew Carey and the Honky Tonk Man. The overall Rumble was very good, with Stone Cold Steve Austin winning, of course.

Everybody knew Stone Cold was going to win, but the most impressive of the night was obviously Kane. Kane, who has always been one of my favorite wrestlers, was in the Royal Rumble for over an hour. He outlasted everybody and took out more wrestlers than anybody else did. Though he was one of the first ones out, he was also the last one eliminated, and it was almost disappointing to see Austin beat him. You've got to be impressed with Kane. It was truly his night.


The Right Stuff is terrific: exciting, complex, funny, crammed with memorable scenes, unforgettable lines, and wonderful actors (many of whom went on to become big stars).

A classic shot shows a test pilot on horseback coming over a ridge stopping to look at a new rocket-plane, steadying his nervous horse as it edges past the flames coming out the back. The test pilot is the twentieth century's cowboy: tough, laconic, independent, fearless.

The Right Stuff tells two parallel stories: the (often fatal) exploits of the early test pilots and Mercury astronauts, with intersecting storylines. The movie never takes itself too seriously. Witness general crawling on the floor to plug in the projector, the sounds of the locusts when the press surrounds the astronauts (Yeager called them locusts initially), the Halleluiah Chorus during the press conference, the enema scene, Sheppard needing to take a leak in the suit, Johnson trying to deal with a housewife. Yet underneath all the fun that is poked at the astronauts we see respect for real men doing a scary, important job.

This film has all the excitement of Top Gun, but is longer, better, just as high-tech exciting, and much funnier. (A washroom scene rivals Meg Ryan's famous restaurant scene...the audience laughed so hard we all missed Cooper's next line!).

And some wonderful lines: Cooper's response to "Who's the best pilot you ever saw?", "O.K. You can be Gus", "The Military owes me", "Read'em and weep", "Hey Ridley, you got any Beemans?", "I go to church too.", "Everything is A-OK", "Our Germans are better than their Germans", "What are you two pudknockers going to have?", and, said with regret and frustration "test pilots!"

To those who have seen it, here's a challenge that will enable you to appreciate the excellent writing, the workmanship and planning that went into the script. View the movie again and see how many times the screenwriter and director took the trouble to set up a later event or comment with an earlier reference. Here are three examples: Cooper dropping a tiny toy space capsule into Grissum's drink (foreshadowing), Copper reading Life magazine before the publisher enters the movie (to make sure we viewers know that Life magazine exits), Yeager bumping his elbow on a limb of a cactus tree as he walks into Pancho's at the beginning of the movie (I never noticed this the first few times I watched the movie, but surely this tiny action was deliberate.) I count a dozen more examples. Send me ones you find.

If you haven't seen The Right Stuff, I strongly recommend you rent the DVD. -RS


I have to correct "mrbsico" for not paying attention to the very things he comments on. It's not that he turned down the opportunity to apply to be an astronaut, it's that Chuck Yeager wasn't allowed to apply. When seraching for astronauts Harry Shearer's character praises Yeager as the ace of aces, but goes on to say that he "doesn't fit the profile" of the type of man Washington is looking for because he never went to college. This was a true pre-requisite which the Mercury Program had. Also, the scene at the end where Yeager crashes his NF-104 doesn't bring him down, it glorifies him. Gordo Cooper even comments that he gets on the cover of magazines, gets a free car, free lunches all across America, a free home with all the furnishings and loads of money and "I ain't even been up there yet". He's famous because he's an astronaut alone - not because of anything he's done. Kaufman cuts back and forth between the scene where Cooper is with Yeager's flight in the desert for reason. Yeager's almost alone with no media around, out in the desert attempting a record which won't put him on Life Magazine's cover. He's trying to set a record because that's what he's made of. He has The Right Stuff; which is something Cooper reazlies as we cut back to the reception and Gordo is asked by the reporters who the best pilot he ever saw was. Yeager may have crashed his plane in his last flight of the movie, but he emerges as a fearless man ever up for the challenge. And that he's not doing any of it for fame or fortune (although in real life the real Yeager cashed in with TV ads and a best-selling autobiography after both the book and the movie were released!!). That's what's rare about this movie for Hollywood to have made. Films are almost never about measuring a man's inner desires, but rather his being able to win the fight at the end. Yeager in contrast doesn't win the flight record at the film's end, but he is still the hero. This is because he dares to do what we never would. And even after his plane crashes he walks out of the gulf of fire and smoke with a severely burned face as if he will be back; you can't keep him down. This is why as the rescuer driving the ambulance as he sees Yeager's figure walking out of the fire in the distance asks, "Is that a man?", Jack Ridley replies, "You're damn right it is!". Ridley isn't merely remarking that it's a man over there, he is commenting that in our world Yeager is one of the few true "men". This film is not about the space program. That is merely a pretext to explore the type of men who have what it takes to volunteer for dangerous missions - even in times of peace. It's about men who have The Right Stuff - and of all those men whom we see in the movie it is Yeager who shines about all others.


'The Right Stuff' is one of the most glorious adventure films ever made, a story of incredible heroism, poignant romance, gripping drama, and broad humor...and amazingly, it has actually happened within our lifetimes!

This is a tale of test pilots, 'pushing the envelope', proving the sound barrier couldn't constrain mankind's reach for space. Leading the way is plain-speaking Chuck Yeager (portrayed by Sam Shepard with Gary Cooper-like charm), a Beeman's gum-chewing cowboy with a passion for his feisty wife (the beautiful Barbara Hershey), and hot planes. Not even a broken rib could hold him back when an opportunity to fly the X-1 was offered. His record-breaking flight could fill a movie by itself...and this is just the BEGINNING of the story!

Jumping ahead a few years, Yeager is joined by a new breed of test pilots, whose total love of flight challenges their relationships, and is the true measure of how they define themselves. Among them are 'Gordo' Cooper (Dennis Quaid), a hot dog jet jockey with an unhappy wife (Pamela Reed, giving an exceptional performance); and Gus Grissom (Fred Ward, in his breakthrough role), coarse and direct, and anxious for his shot at the fastest jets.

The entire world changes when the Russians launch Sputnik, in 1957. As the American space program struggles to 'catch up', the government realizes that American men will have to go into space, and President Eisenhower wants 'educated' test pilots to fill this role. Yeager is out (he never completed college), but Cooper and Grissom, and many others, compete for spots in the New Frontier.

These pilots, from all services, are weeded down to seven men, dubbed 'Astronauts', and the Mercury Space Program is born! Along with Cooper and Grissom, the story focuses on Navy pilot Alan Shepard (Scott Glenn), laconic and prone to ethnic humor; and Marine John Glenn (perfectly cast Ed Harris), a 'boy scout' of unimpeachable morals, who loyally supports an impaired wife (sensitively portrayed by Mary Jo Deschanel). Working under the glare of the world press, the seven gradually come to respect one another, and embark on an epic adventure, full of triumph and tragedy!

Meanwhile, Chuck Yeager, snubbed by NASA, continues to test new generations of jets, pushing the 'envelope', until, in a climactic scene, he achieves the threshold of space, himself. The flight is a near disaster, resulting in a horrendous crash, but the image of the burned but undefeated pilot, walking proudly away from the wreckage, is an unforgettable image of courage, and truly defines 'The Right Stuff'!

This is a REMARKABLE film in every way, and is director Philip Kaufman's masterpiece. Lushly scored by Tom Conti (who won an Oscar for the Tchaikovsky-inspired music), the film soars, both on earth and in space!

If you believe the Age of Heroes is past, watch 'The Right Stuff', and you might change your mind! This is a film to treasure!


An interesting insight into the United States' space program, beginning with the exploits of fighter pilot Chuck Yeager (Sam Shephard) and concluding with the dramatic flights of the first astronauts.

Those astronauts - the Mercury 7 pilots - are a varied group of aviators and they are all pretty interesting guys. John Glenn (Ed Harris) gets favorable treatment in here among the group. Gordon Cooper might be the wildest with the cocky and humorous Dennis Quaid playing him. Overall, it's a good cast including not just the fliers but their wives. I also enjoyed Scott Glenn as Alan Shepard and Barbara Hershey as Yeager's wife.

Yeager's feats were perhaps the most interesting and they set a fast tone to this 3-hour film as we witness him breaking several sound-barrier records prior to the formation of the astronaut team. Then we are treated to a long-but-interesting segment of how those first astronauts were trained.

The only unnecessary and ludicrous parts of this film were the ones on Lyndon Johnson, where they made him into a total fool. It was as if the screen writers had a personal vendetta against him, to make him look almost like a cartoon figure. And the bit with the Australian Aborigines smacks too much of Hollywood's love affair with tribal religions. I sincerely doubt some sparks from a fire on earth could be seen miles and miles above in space.

At any rate, this was an informative look at a period in our history than came-and-went way too fast. Sad to say, most people know very little about those first astronauts, who were true heroes. At least this film gives them their due, as well as to Yeager, who deserved this tribute, too


The Right Stuff takes place during the Cold War when America was trying its hardest in technological advancements to beat the Russians. The movie first starts out with Chuck Yeager(Sam Shepard) attempting to break the sound barrier. The movie continues with other story lines as professional pilots desperately try to get into the NASA space program, become the first Americans into space, and try to break some kind of record that will beat what the Russians had. The other real life people that this movie follows are Alan Shepard(Scott Glenn), Gordon Cooper(Dennis Quaid), John Glenn(Ed Harris), Gus Grissom(Fred Ward), and of course, their families.

The running time is very long at 3 hours plus, but it goes by very quickly. The first couple of hours go by as if they were 25 minutes, and the last hour is thrilling, as well as inspiring. There are several plot elements that really make this movie phenomenal. There is plenty of excitement as you see what the skilled pilots try to accomplish, there is plenty of humor, the cast is nearly perfect, and the score adds plenty of effect to the film. The result is a phenomenal, nearly perfect film, being one of the best films of the 1980's.

The plot is very interesting, as you see the lives of the pilots, the status of the American Government desperately trying to overcome the Russians with advanced technology, and the difficulties in trying to accomplish these difficulties. This is well worth your time, and it is a great movie.


`The Right Stuff' is the story of the original Mercury 7 astronauts and their journey through the fledgling NASA program and eventually into space. It is well-written and well-acted, featuring a veritable `Who's Who' of then slightly unknown actors such as Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn and Lance Henriksen. While it had an over three hour running time, and I actually had to get up to turn over the DVD because of its length, the pacing was such that I never once considered that any particular scene should have been shortened. One thing I particularly enjoyed about the film was the introduction of Chuck Yeager (Shepard) and his contribution to history by breaking the sound barrier, and then the periodic simultaneous comparison of the accomplishments of the astronauts and the Air Force and civilian test pilots, as well as exhibiting their eventual mutual respect.

If I had to point out any kind of glaring fault, it would have to be that they focused on some astronauts more than others  obviously concentrating heavily on the bigger names, and glossing over the `lesser-known' ones. An example would be Walter Schirra (Henriksen)  his name is mentioned a couple of times, and he probably had a tenth of the screen time of the others. Plainly, with an already three hour running time not everyone could have equal time, so this is certainly a mild criticism. `The Right Stuff' isn't profound or exceptional, but it is certainly a good and interesting film.

--Shelly


Here was a director and a writer who knew that they had a real story that needed a minimum amount of added-on work to make a fine movie. The time passing early on being marked by the fighter-jets evolution was very subtle. The haunting looks back at Edwards Air Force Base and Chuck Yeager's career seemed to ground the movie and remind you where all these heroes came from... and that there were MORE heroes waiting. Sam Shepard's portrayal of Mr. Yeager was particularly good, and I enjoy watching this film... every October 14th.


I'm not sure why I put off, or just didn't get around, to seeing the Right Stuff. I could take my pick, but really I was never made to sit down by my parents or in school or other to watch it, and... screw the excuses, I wasn't sure about a 193 minute movie about astronauts as a kid. But now having seen it it's quite clear I was missing something fairly excellent in the cannon of the "Bio-pic". It's one of those true compelling 20th century stories, and the filmmaker Philip Kaufman cares about all of these real guys so much that it moves right over into the cinematic treatment of the characters. And more impressively considering its ensemble there's almost a key character to the mix with Chuck Yeagher, the first man to break the sound barrier who never got into NASA with all the other go-for-broke test pilots, but did taste that rush up to the sky just once - and what a rush.

This is film-making of a superlative caliber. It is such a story that is told extraordinarily because of how it takes itself seriously as a historical document, but never so much so as to get in a great joke - the kind of natural joking that people do, such as the few quips done by Yeagher in the cockpit to whoever was listening after breaking the sound barrier, which actually happened - or some sliver of satire to the mix. It pleases both as an emotional experience, one of those rousing and inspiring tales, and also at times intellectual. We see the lives of these guys, of Yeagher, Shepard, Glenn, Cooper, Grissom, and their wives too. The Right Stuff is a very human story, told with an approximate awe for the subject matter and an attitude that says "we can be epic, but we can also point out the flaws that come around in human nature."

There were so many obstacles that could have come, and sometimes did, for the folks at NASA, the scientists as well as the handful that were picked to do missions up into space in direct competition with America's foe the Russians, that all the astronauts could sometimes do would be to joke or give a hard-lined measure. We see some expected things like a big press conference, but we also see things that ring so true that they feel so real as minor events, like when the scientists are showing the astronauts the pod without a window or proper escape hatch and they all band together to put pressure on them to do it right or else the press will hear all hell (the wording in this scene is very good). The veneer of pure heroism is shown for what it is, as something of not always a tricky thing; the film was criticized by some of the original astronauts for the depiction of Gus Grissom (if only because Grissom had passed on in tragedy and couldn't do it himself), but his story of going into space, and the aftermath with his wife, is important to show for the story the film's trying to tell.

That's one of the remarkable things in the Right Stuff, which is giving as much equal time and depth as possible to these guys, and their wives at other times. We see Dennis Quaid's cocky pilot saying he's the best their is, and then another where he suddenly becomes like 12 years old in front of the female doctor as she speaks/laughs with his wife behind doors. We see Ed Harris' John Glenn as the supposed spokesperson of the group, the "Dudley Do-Right" as it were, but then the slightest bit of uncertainty - not to mention a really well told drama with his wife, who was a stutterer, and stood up against being pressured by Vice President Johnson.

Little details all add up in the film, and even the ones that don't entirely work (i.e. the cut-aways to the aborigines during Glenn's flight up in space) still carry some worth as far as being filmed wonderfully or with a strange quality that makes it fun to watch - any other director might take out the crucial detail of Alan Shepard urinating in his suit before the very first successful launch of a US man into space, but it's left in, and stronger for it. And as far as just details with the characters go, all you need to see is the kind of simple but very strong representation of death in the man in the black suit and hat who has to pay call to those who've lost their husbands or fathers up in the sky.

And, thankfully for such a long running time, we're given several moments in terms of the power of cinematic technique, of showing us the subjective perspective of what those who orbit the Earth see and the views outside the windows at so many countless miles up in the atmosphere. Basically any scene with Chuck Yeagher is one of these, especially early on but then also towards the end with his absolutely stunning bittersweet moment of going up to the sky and, well, nearly dying in a last-minute jump from the plane into flames. Kaufman takes the audience into these moments, and even just quiet or interesting ones with the actors, and imbues it all with just enough importance to level off the occasional goofiness he allows his character or in the choice of edits (watch as the chimps, being spin around in that big circular thing are cut with Glenn spinning around). That it's also one of those outstanding ensembles helps a great deal too.

It's exciting and refreshingly bittersweet Hollywood cinema, and at the least of the must-see pictures of 1983.


I really loved The Right Stuff. The story line seemed true to form and I felt like I was getting a glimpse into the 'real' world of life for astronauts and test pilots back in the 50s and 60s. When watching Apollo 13, which also stars Ed Harris, there was a real continuity in the movie that made the two movies complement each other nicely.

The Right Stuff also was a great vehicle for actors like Ed Harris, Fred Ward, Scott Glen,Sam Shepard and Dennis Quaid who have all gone on to do amazing work. The casting for this movie was superb. The main actors and supporting cast told a very interesting story with truth and poignancy that made it believable all the way through. I would and still do highly recommend this movie to anyone.


I really liked this movie sixteen years ago. I was an ideal audience, partly because I built models of fighters and carriers, flew model rockets, and was eager to see lots of military hardware. But the real reason is that I was 14 years old.

This movie comprehends life at about the level of a 14-year-old. Watching it again as an adult was painful. After every visual cliche, after every scene of buffoonery (almost innumerable) I told myself it would get better, that the scenes of space flight were coming. But there was nothing but more weak dialog, trite phrases and ... even the shot framing was corny.

And that dreadful score. Bill Conti really reached a new level of inappropriateness (beyond his previous best misunderstanding of theme, style and sentiment with "For Your Eyes Only"). Here we have a movie about individualists, talented, flashy egotists. Maybe an appropriate musical representation would be an exciting solo instrument against orchestra, in other words a concerto. For no conceivable reason, however, Conti takes the theme of a very famous concerto ... and plays it with full orchestra only, minus the fireworks of the violin part. So there is no symbolism of the one against the many, just a vaguely joyous melody. And then just to make sure we know it's really Bill Conti's score, and not Pete Tchaikovsky, he changes two notes.

Conti has done some straightforwardly uplifting music (especially towards the beginning of his career), but this is simply cheap "proud and happy" music. And why "Mars, Bringer of War" by Holst in yet another film? "Finlandia" is just as universally known to musicians, and would have made more sense as "music of overcoming" (gravity, technical troubles).

The obnoxious "Foreign Man" character in the meetings was supposed to be Werner von Braun, ex-Nazi rocket-team leader. The man was a genius, and he was cunning, imaginative and by most accounts impressive. If, for lack of time, he could not be shown rounded, he could at least have been characterized as formidable, secretive, dangerous. That's just as simple.

LBJ was loquacious and persuasive, not a yeller or a whiner and not such a carnival barker in public. I dislike the man and his decisions, but why make him into a plain old jackass when he was an effective and charismatic user of people?

Surely Harris and Shepard knew this was a bad script. They make the absolute best out of the meager diet they were fed. And under such obvious direction: "Smile when the light goes across", "Look up after a second", "React with surprise" and so on, making the actors seem like puppets sometimes.

I suppose Jeff Goldblum had to take what he could get in those days, but it's still disappointing to have to sit through his gags (literally).

The wives seem to be thrown in to get females into the theater. The point their characters make didn't even need them on the screen to be made. The men could have confessed, maybe in a bar scene, to the marital woe and guilt that plagued them as a result of their chosen career. And shaved off a good half-an-hour in the process. The wives contributed almost nothing else to the story. Drag without lift.

It won for Best Editing. Could have been Most Editing. When objects fly in the movie, they are seen this way: here it comes (from the left), there it goes (to the left), here it comes (from below), there it goes (off the bottom), now it wobbles (to show how fast it's going), the dials on the instrument panel turn, then out the front window, now where did it go?, now it's coming right at you, and last just the vapor trail seen from the ground. This sequence occurs almost edit-for-edit whenever something goes more than 55mph, and it's dull.

Before I saw it again on DVD, I would have given it an 8 from my fond memories. I have to give it a 4, alongside such cinematic triumphs as "Dirty Dancing" and "Creepshow 2".

By the way, the NASA logo shown throughout was not used until the mid-60's. Am I wrong to be so bothered by that? When the movie is about NASA, I don't think so.

And as for the record: Never before have I sweated with embarrassment all the way through a movie.


It was wonderful to see again this 1983 gem. Just as I remembered plus those unexpected surprises that time puts in evidence. Kim Stanley for instance. A few minutes on the screen, a peripheral character but I took her with me and here I am, thinking about her. The "starry" role jet pilots played and that new breed: "tha astronauts" getting the all American treatment, becoming overnight celebrities. Ed Harris is extraordinary as John Glenn. He becomes a sort of leader with some TV experience and we never ask why. Ed Harris's performance explains it all without ever actually saying it. Dennis Quaid is irresistible as "Gordo" Cooper. You believe every one of his thoughts, specially the ones he never reveals. In spite of the film's length, I wished the film would not end. I haven't had that wish very often. "The Right Stuff" is the real thing.


I believe this film was underrated on it's original release. What a pity. It's a brilliantly delivered story of the men and women who contributed to the greatest historical event in my lifetime. Probably the greatest since Columbus, nearly 500 years earlier. It tells very much a human story of the people and families of those involved. The test pilots from the early jet age, the very real risks that they took and the selection of the few to enter the space programme. I was upset to discover that the great Chuck Yeager was not chosen because he was not "of the officer class" or "education standard". Something like that as far as I can recall. I always thought that this attitude was a peculiarity of British class snobbery. Disappointing that it happened in the United States. This film has the very best actors, writing, everything. If you haven't seen it PLEASE DO! 10/10


This is one of the most underrated, brilliant films of all time. If you've never seen it, do: but see it at a cinema if you can or on a good home theatre system, with a big screen and great sound. Shut down the lights, take the phone off the hook, give it the respect it deserves... and go on a journey.

I first saw it in 70mm in a cinema re-release in 1995, and still remember that night as one of the most transcendental cinema experiences of my life. I hadn't even wanted to see it - my boyfriend dragged me along. I thought it was a boys + their toys movie, the subject matter didn't interest me at all. Yet I came out of the cinema speechless, barely able to walk.

I felt like I'd just orbited the earth too, so closely did I identify with what was happening on screen. Wolfe's book, Kaufman's screenplay and direction, Caleb's cinematography, Bill Conti's music, the sfx, the design... all are at the top level of their craft. And every one of the actors... from Sam Shepherd through to the nurse... is beyond superb. If anyone who worked on this film is reading this, even if you made the tea, know that you helped create something incredible.

The movie beautifully portrays and celebrates dual themes: technical endeavour vs the mystery of the natural universe, external recognition vs inner 'right stuff'.

Like Chuck Yaeger, this film never achieved due recognition in its day, but will continue to inspire through time.


It's got everything, including length! It's full of actors who later became famous for other roles. It's more or less accurate historically. It takes its time to develop the story with countless dirty, amusing, moving details. I just love it and can't imagine why few people seem to have even heard of it. I suppose it's a guy film.

An overriding theme depicted in many wonderful ways is the transition of "authentic" heroes of the sort exemplified by Yaeger and other unsung test pilots, to "astronauts" -- creatures of the media, no braver than other pilots (although just as highly skilled) but marketed as such for the pleasure of politicians and the bureaucracy of NASA in the race for space. These astronauts cooperate with this mischaracterization since it fits well their monumental egos, but the director makes clear in myriad,nuanced ways (like during the fan dance in the Astrodome) that deep inside they know they are shams in comparison to those slogging away at Edwards without media attention and unearned perks.


It captures the spirit and grandeur of the early US space program through superb filmmaking. Great characters, great adventure, and great filmmaking. A Classic!!!


Every scene, every line, every shot, every frame seems as right today as when this film was released. A classic of writing, direction, acting, and effects. One of the few great movies to follow a great book -- on its own terms. Funny, stirring, exciting, poignant......whatever else anyone could want -- it's here.


I remember going to see this movie on it's release in the Odeon Leicester Square. There couldn't have been more than about 20 people there but it didn't matter because I got so wrapped in this film.

It is so good because it is such a fantastic story of the courage of these pilots, the support from their wives and the desperate race to beat the Russians into space. A script which never drags, is full of humour and pulls great performances from some of the young actors of the day - Sheperd, Glenn, Quaid, Hershey, Ward, Harris....the list goes on.

Add to this the superb cinematography and sound...what sound! I have just ventured in to the world of DVD and now have Chuck Yaeger breaking the sound barrier in my living room. My neighbours may never speak to me again..........


Tom Wolfe wrote a terrific book and this movie does nothing but improve on it. A masterful take on the original Mercury program. Seen it a dozen times...keeps getting better. Funny as hell in some parts, flag-wavin' patriotic at others and entertaining from start to finish. Like the Wolfe book, which it follows pretty closely, it provides you with a truckload of information about the astronauts and the program that NASA didn't want revealed in the midst of the Cold War. So you're getting an education the easy way. It seems that just about the entire cast had their first major breakthrough on "Right Stuff". Remarkable acting by all concerned parties. Donald Moffat (I hate to single any ONE actor out in this movie for special attention) does a turn as LBJ that belongs in the Satire Hall Of Fame. The editing is perfect. This movie is around 3 hours long and it just flies by. Great use of archival footage from NASA.

It's an epic film that never feels like an epic film. Great moviemaking.( And I'm waiting for someone to make a film out of Wolfe's "A Man In Full". If James Garner is reading this...there's an Oscar with your name on it, Jim. Get the part!!!) And by all means, let the kids watch "Right Stuff" with you. This is what they mean by "a movie the whole family can love". Just start it early enough to get 'em to bed on time.