“Grave of the Fireflies” (1988)
Grade: A+
Surely one of the greatest films ever made. The film takes place during WWII and the air raids in Japan. While the film never offers a statement on their part in the war and the atrocities they committed as well, the film simply points out the obvious but taken for granted fact of the citizens of Japan (in this case children) and their sufferings. The film explores the efforts of two children Seita and his little sister Setsuka who are unwillingly caught in the midst of a war that they do not understand and are not a part of. The film is trying to put the spotlight on the suffering of children during the war and how they are really the victims in all of this. Basically if you do not cry during this then….you have no soul. That’s right I said it; you have no soul. This film is a bitch to get through. Seriously, it is a very hard film to take in and handle. But it is well worth your time. Isao Takahata has a keen eye for the beauty in stillness and small moments that say so much. I am convinces Takahata wants to make people as miserable as possible with this film. I am joking. Well, I’m half joking. This is widely known as one of the greatest films ever made and rightly so; it is one of the truly few masterpieces in cinema; a film only bested by “Fantasia” in the world of animation.
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