Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies (1988) is one of the oddest animated films ever made. It isn’t so much that it attempts to be realistic—which it really doesn’t—or that it tells a wholly serious story (that’s not unique), but that it’s so unrelentingly grim. It follows the fates of a young boy and his sister struggling to survive in Japan during the last stretches of World War II. The father is killed in the navy and the mother and their home are lost in a firebombing by the U.S. forces. The film is undeniably brilliant and effective—though it’s interesting to note that viewers take the boy, Seita, as a sympathetic character, which was never Takahata’s intention. But it’s also not easy to watch. It begins with Seita’s death, tracks back and only becomes ever grimmer. It definitely should be seen, but, for me, it’s one of those works I’m glad I saw and hope to never sit through again.
Grave of the Fireflies
Movie Information
Grave of the Fireflies will be shown at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, at the Asheville Art Museum.
| Score: | |
| Genre: | Animated Drama |
| Director: | Isao Takahata |
| Starring: | (Voices of) Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Yoshiko Shinohara, Akemi Yamaguchi |
| Rated: | NR |
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.