Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

[火垂るの墓]

Director: Isao Takahata
Starring: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Auano Shiraishi, Akemi Yamaguchi

Synopsis:
Orphaned by the firebombing of Kobe, a boy and his sister struggle to survive in the final months of World War II.

Impressions:
If you didn't knew this movie's reputation going in, our main character dies of starvation, filthy and alone in a train station in the first few minutes. That pretty well sets the tone for you. You know from the start that there's no hope, which makes the protagonists' moments of levity all the more bittersweet and unless you forget how things are doomed to end, the sense of tragedy never lets up. And that's not even considering when things really start to go downhill. It's not an easy movie to watch and you're not likely to make a habit of watching it too often. You have no idea how much I dragged my feet to watch it again some 16 years later. Let's make no mistake about it. It is a very well-made film that expertly hits some deeply tragic notes. When I rate films, I tend to think in terms of how much I enjoy watching them with artistic considerations coming in second. In this case, though, I have to acknowledge it in terms of its artistic merit first. Otherwise I'd probably rate it a fair bit lower because I don't think a lot of people actually want to see a movie like this. It's no small part of the reason why they had to play it first during its initial theatrical run paired with Totoro and why it bombed at the box office. Still, I think it's a movie that should be seen, at least once. Film buffs and big-time Ghibli fans will probably want it in their collection, even if they don't dust it off too often.

Rating:
Own It