Grave of the Fireflies 1988

     This film is based on a semi-autobiographical novel by Nosaka Akiyuki and it takes place during the ending days of WWII.   Setsuko and Seita are a brother and sister living in Japan.  Their mother is killed in an air raid that dropped napalm canisters on their city.  Even though she went to a shelter in their port city of Kobe, she was severely burned.  The children go to live with a distant aunt but she doesn’t treat them very well.  She thinks Seita should be doing something for the war effort.  Seita thinks he needs to take care of Setsuko since she is young and her mother has died.  Their father is in the Japanese navy and the children don’t know hi

s status.  They decide to leave the city and make a home for themselves with an abandoned hillside cave as their shelter.  There is money in their mother’s savings account but they are still finding it difficult to get food.  The farmers say they don’t have enough for themselves and their families.  The fireflies are their only entertainment.

     While watching this film you need to keep in mind that this is an anti-war film by the Japanese and the allies are carrying out the bombing raids.  Japan did not want to surrender and war leads to hardship for everyone involved.  The people fighting and those in the countries fighting all suffer.  It is interesting to see WWII from an opposite viewpoint.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

89 min, Animation directed by Isao Takahata with the voices of Amy Jones, Corinne Orr, J. Robert Spencer, Veronica Taylor Shannon Conley Crispin Freeman, Dan Green, Nick Sullivan.

Note:  Imdb 8.5 out of 10, 97% critic 95% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 4*.

Special Note:  The title in Japanese is Hotaru No Haka.  The ending in this movie is different from the ending in the novel.  Animation is usually thought of as cartoons and this film is somber but worthwhile to watch.  Nosaka Akiyuki grieved for a long period over his losses due to the war before writing about them.