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 Bambi’s mother, the death of Snow White or even the death of Simba’s father, they cried because they witnessed the death of someone we loved.

This is none more prominent in The Grave of the Fireflies which was so overwhelming in my first viewing because it is one of the most realistic films I’ve seen, in feeling. It captures the essence of a war movie yet there is no violence, no blood and no gore except their remnants. There is a stratum of emotional content that is never stated; only implicated. There is melancholy, pathos and tragedy. And it is disturbing to remember… unless if you’ve never cried when you remembered the thought of a starving child crying in the dark.

The story tells a simple tale of survival. A brother (Seita) and sister (Setsuko) lose their parents during Japan’s penultimate defeat in World War II. One dies of burns and another drowns. This may seem like the movie’s emotional tenor but isn’t. The tenor is derived from the pain we see in the eyes of the children, the burdens they experience from a distant relative and their fate from a government that has forgotten the welfare of its citizens.

I haven’t disclosed much of the plot because The Grave of the Fireflies derives its emotion from its imagery. The general public watches movies for entertainment, not for depression, Yet for any film lover, this needs to be seen once. Maybe not more than once. It’s good to remember the happiness a person can experience through their own unhappiness. But it’s not healthy to dwell on their fate. Depression is part of the movie’s magic but not its ulterior motive.

As an emotional work, it succeeds. But it’s also a beautifully crafted film. Made as a double feature with Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbour Totoro by Studio Ghibli (circa 1988), the director (Isao Takahata) must’ve pictured every shot, every sound and every idea in the form of a vision because the movie shuffles like a conveyor belt of wonderful ideas. Many scenery shots are positioned at a character’s shoulder height, famously known as ‘pillow shots’: images set at a specific camera angle. Its purpose: to trap the viewer within the world of its characters. In Setsuko’s world, we see the burning bodies, the shadow of a fire and the flames polluting the tainted skies. We experience the devastation of a war-torn Japan through their eyes and ears.

There are many subtle moments. One is when Seita is moving a wheelbarrow of his mother’s belongings. During his walk, he sees a leaking water pipe. The camera stays in its position, like an observer. He walks to the pipe and washes his mouth. He sprays the water on his face and uses his face towel to wipe his face. Afterwards, he opens a candy tin and feasts on a fruit drop. We see his sheer delight. He walks away from the pipe, smiling. You would wonder why Takahata has taken the time to observe the smile, the washing of the face, the eating. His reason is simple. The two children live a life of simplicity. The things that matter the most for them are the things that only children have the time for. In a time where death is part of the social cycle, Takahata takes the time to document the playing around in the bath-tub, the game of ‘chasey’ at the beach and the cooking of the rice. These activities summarise the catalogue of a child’s activities and Takahata is not afraid to show the optimism one could’ve experienced during war.

There are many tender moments. An example is when Seita decides to rest in a deserted cave with his sister. Together, they collect fireflies. They place them in a pot and release them. They rest on the floor and stare at their beaming light. In Setsuko’s world, the fireflies are playful objects. In Seita’s world, they are the stars and the surviving beauty of a crumbling world. In our eyes, the fireflies are the presence and miniscule nature of life. But the purpose of the fireflies is to remind us that in the midst of their problems, there is still a moment in one’s lifetime where you can ignore your problems and be taken back by the sight of great beauty.

The Grave of the Fireflies is such a delight and heartbreaking experience because of Takahata’s masterful direction. There are moments of immense sadness and moments of bliss. The children have moments to live for and not live for. This is what life consists of. To present life, Takahata has used universal emotions (e.g. fear, sadness, joy) to show their frustrations, their sentiments, their contemplation. That is why we feel for these characters. They embody the human spirit in jeopardy. When Donald Rister (film critic) said that ‘I knew I was watching something special’, I wouldn’t know what particular moment he was referring to. There were too many.

The movie is based on a best selling Japanese autobiography by Akiyuki Nosata who was facing his penultimate demons when he wrote the book. His experiences were based on his experiences of severe depression after he lost his sister to malnutrition. He blamed himself for her death on the basis of his selfishness; denying her the necessary food which he ate. His book was a testament to combat his darkest fears. But if The Grave of the Fireflies was to be a movie about regret, we may not have had the same emotional response we had to the film. A story about regret will invoke our pity. A story about the recollection of someone’s last days will invoke our pity and our emotions, especially if it strikes a chord with those who have lost loved ones in the same manner.

It was a wise decision to tell the story through animation. To choreograph the story in live action would give the material a realism that would spoil the story’s intention. Animation has an advantage in exaggerating the appearances and the actions of its characters. An animated performance will appear more expressive. Takahata wasn’t focused on capturing an accurate representation of a war-torn Japan but in using its context to justify the actions of its characters. When Seita collects his rations at a government depot, we see his face’s reaction. Animation exaggerates his face so instantly know his concern for his sister’s rations. Emotional content becomes more prominent.

Realism wouldn’t be possible if it were filmed live. It would be impossible to replicate the performances of Seita and Setsuko. In live-film, you know the actor is acting; you wouldn’t buy the authenticity of the scene. In using animation, Takahata has been able to create an atmosphere that isn’t plausible in live action. We know that we are seeing an illusion but if the story has convinced us, we will accept the illusion. It is a realistic movie, in feeling.

As a visual experience, it is spellbinding. But as an emotional experience, it is inventive. Unlike his predecessors, Takahata has refrained from using the clichés mixture of superficial emotions and dramatic music to evoke emotion. It is prominent in even the greatest melodramas, from Gone With the Wind to Doctor Zhivago. But Takahata has ignored the cliché and built his ideas amongst his experiences. There is a scene that takes place after Setsuko’s death. A flashback presents the activities that summarized Setsuko’s last days. In this flashback, we see her wear a helmet, cut her finger, play hopscotch and dance in the sun. The scene works because it reminds us of the innocence that every child has. When that innocence is taken away, you regret remembering its existence.

I remember my first viewing. I recorded the movie from a foreign TV channel to watch it the following morning. I was expecting a B-grade anime that would fill 88 minutes of my free time. Feeling depressed and disturbed wasn’t part of my expectations. But (if any) The Grave of the Fireflies is such an emotionally draining experience that it forces you to contemplate about how far we have gone in our life. Takahata didn’t create the movie as a catharsis for emotion. It is a movie that makes us wise. And it begs us the question. Why was a grave made for the fireflies?