Name: A Magnum Opus of Animation
Item: Grave of the Fireflies
Rating: 100
Author: SeaSaltPrincess

A Magnum Opus of Animation

Grave of the Fireflies is one of the greatest films ever created, sporting incredible animation by Studio Ghibli, a beautiful soundtrack, and a compelling yet utterly heart-wrenching story. It is not a film for the faint of heart, so if sad movies are not to your taste then potentially steer clear of this work, otherwise it is one of the most emotionally compelling pieces of fiction you can find.

One of the scenes that stood out most to me in the movie was the first fire-bombing scene at the beginning of the film. Many stories would have such events happen during the night, but having it take place during the day and keeping the scene overall less noisy gave it a very eerie and dreadful tone, a quiet destruction of a once-normal life, torn out in a matter of minutes. The scene where the protagonist, Seita, glances at a nearby source of water and briefly considers trying to save his house perfectly showcases his line of thinking and personality in a few brief moments, foreshadowing some of his decision-making later in the movie.

Spoiler, click to viewclick to hide

Some folks may take issue with the main character refusing to ask his aunt for forgiveness and get more assistance from her, but I think that is one of the crucial elements of this film that sets it above others - it is a masterpiece because how how real the his mistakes are. It doesn't feel like it's just a sad depressing story about bad things happening to perfectly innocent folks, Seita and Setsuko feel like genuinely real children. The fact that their tragedy was in part caused by him gives this film a very realistic, mature feeling. Tragedies like this aren't often black and white - people will do bad things and make bad decisions in extraordinary circumstances. There is also a lot of historical context behind the characters that I do not understand myself, as I am not very well versed in world history, so someone with a greater understanding of that subject may appreciate those aspects of these characters better.

This movie is great for anyone who loves a good cry (in this film's case, a long episode of sobbing may be more accurate), and who likes to connect with the characters and see every nitty gritty detail of their personalities. Even those experienced with watching many sad movies may find this one a particularly emotionally brutal one, but one of the purposes of filmmaking is to make the audience feel something, and to communicate something with that feeling. Despite the director's personal beliefs about this being an anti-war film, this film still carries many important lessens about isolation, community, and how the political state of a nation affects those things.