In the aftermath of a World War II bombing, two orphaned children struggle to survive in the Japanese countryside. To Seita and his four-year old sister, the helplessness and indifference of their countrymen is even more painful than the enemy raids. Through desperation, hunger and grief, these children’s lives are as heartbreakingly fragile as their spirit and love is inspiring. Grave of the Fireflies is a tale of the true tragedy of war and innocence lost, not only of the abandoned young, but of an entire nation. —Central Park Media
Isao Takahata (born October 29, 1935) is one of the most famous directors of anime, or Japanese animated films.
Born in Ujiyamada (now Ise), Mie prefecture, Japan, he is a long-term colleague of Miyazaki Hayao and co-head at Studio Ghibli. His four animated films at Studio Ghibli have spanned a remarkable range of genres: war-film (Grave of the Fireflies), romantic drama (Only Yesterday), comedy (My Neighbors the Yamadas) and ecological adventure (Pom-Poko). Of these Grave of the Fireflies, in particular, is widely considered among the greatest animated films ever made.
Graduating from the University of Tokyo in 1959, Takahata joined the newly-created Toei Douga animation company where a short time later he met Miyazaki, and also directed his first feature film Horus: Prince of the Sun. Ostracized within the company after the financial failure of the film (despite its artistic success), he and Miyazaki left in order to work together, and collaborated on many other films… read more
A beautiful, devastating, humanistic, haunting brilliant masterpiece. I was so deeply moved by this film. Truly one of the best war films ever made.
Animation has an ethereal power, a minimalism and essence that is unique in conveying human emotion that many film-goers deny. But when you ask anyone who has shed tears when they saw the death of… read review
(Originally written July 11, 2008)
The tragedy of this movie is summarized by the title of the film, which refers to a young girl lamenting how fireflies have to die so quickly. However, this… read review