Hotaru no haka
Directed by:
Isao TakahataScreenplay:
Isao TakahataCinematography:
Nobuo KoyamaComposer:
Michio MamiyaVOD (1)
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Alternately known as Tombstone for Fireflies, Grave is a very somber film about the struggle of two children to survive during World War II. Seita and his younger sister Setsuko are left to fend for themselves when their mother passes away from severe burns inflicted by the American fire-bombing of their town. Their father is serving in the Japanese navy, but the children have not heard from him in a long time, so Seita and Setsuko try staying with a distant relative. However, Seita doesn't get along well with this relative and decides to leave, taking Setsuko with him, to live on their own. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (5)
I'm not exactly a die-hard anime fan, but this film turned out to be quite an interesting experience, showing the horrors of war without the use of excessive violence. What intrigued me most was the portrayal of the Japanese characters, who weren't depicted as downtrodden victims of a vastly superior enemy. Instead, keen observers will find expressions of blind faith in the empire's victory.
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I can't say this film blew my mind, but my emotional state during it was like a seesaw, with the difference that I stopped exactly at the point when your stomach clenches and the pleasure of being swayed pushes everything else out of your head for a tiny moment. Takahata has really pulled it off, and with this magnificent work he has equalled even the incomparable Miyazaki – if not in creative imagination and premise, then in the resulting impact. And Mamiyai's music was so good, it was like listening to Ennio Morricone in his prime. Amazing little film, where are all the Oscar nominations and the hype? 100%
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An incredible example of how an animated film can truly be powerful, how it can present adult themes, and how cuteness can easily turn into something terrifying that takes your breath away. "Grave of the Fireflies" is a very depressing film, but in doing so, it demonstrates the strength not only of Japanese animated films, but primarily of them.
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Either I'm a total cynic or I don't know, but this film, despite some of its undeniable qualities, struck me as a vulgar emotional blackmail that was laughable at times. Quite often, actually.
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"Why must fireflies die so young?" If Isao Takahata didn’t push so awfully hard on a tear-jerking note, Grave of the Fireflies would have been in a higher category. This way we get a beautifully animated, emotional blackmail movie that is so openly sentimental that you soon get sick of it. Maybe the expressions “all things in moderation" and “less is more" don’t translate well into Japanese. On the other hand, I grudgingly admit that it really works in some places. And at those brighter moments, it is doubly disappointing that the whole movie isn’t like that.
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Photo © Studio Ghibli
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