Ghibli's hidden masterpiece - Grave of the Fireflies

There are some films that deserve to be seen by everyone in the world. Hotaru no haka (Grave of the Fireflies) is one of these films. It's often overlooked as a Ghibli film as it wasn't directed by Miyazaki, but instead his partner, Isao Takahata. The film is based on the semi-autobiography of Akiyuki Nosaka, who wrote the book to deal with his survivors guilt. People often overlook animation as being for kids or associate it with porn and violence. However, the fact reamins that Hotaru no haka remains the single most important war film ever made. It may seem strange that, beyond the first few minutes, there hardly any violence. Instead, the film is very gentle. It features on US film critic Roger Ebert's list of 100 greatest films of all time.
The story opens in Kobe during the final days of WW2 - a starving child clutching a sweet tin eventually slips into death. We move backwards in time some weeks. US forces bombard the Japanese mainland with napalm bombs. Seita, 14, and his younger sister Setsuko are separated from their mother on their way to the shelter. The following day Seita finds her dying in an emergencey hospital, her body so burned that he can't let Setsuko see her. With almost everything they have gone and their father away serving with the navy, the children go to live with the their aunt on the outskirts of the city. She is initially happy to see them as their posessions such as their mother's kimonos can be sold to buy food. As this source of money runs out she grows bitter at having to house and feed someone elses children. Eventually Seita can't take it anymore and leaves with Setsuko to live by themselves. They find an old bomb shelter and set up a home there with Seita finding food anyway he can as Setsuko starts to show the early stages of malnutririon. Although Seita has money, it soon becomces worthless as there is simply no food to buy.

From the opening line "September 21, 1945... that was the night I died", we are left in no doubt as to how this film ends. We are forced to sit and watch as Setsuko's health deteriorates. We see how Seita tries his hardest for his sister, but this kind of responsibility is far too great to be placed on one so young. The film makes absolutely no statements about the Americans - in fact, they are never mentioned, refered to only as "the enemy". It would be far too easy to criticise the military decision taken to firebomb civilian towns where the majority of housing was made from wood and paper, but the film avoids this angle completely. Where it succeeds as a war film is showing how war affects the innocent - those who not only don't understand the fighting, but are too young to cope with the consequences. We see how in a time of shortages, imminent defeat and hopelessness, people ignore the plight of these children. No one comes to their aid - they are left completely alone. This isn't the fault of the population - the war has created only victims. Society has become unable to protect those who need it most
The film has its moments of happiness to avoid sliding into melodrama. Seita and Setsuko's discoverly of the fireflies lighting their shelter brings a joyous wonder to the young girl's face. It's these scenes that remind us that compassion can still exist in even these difficult times.
This film is an experience. Not an epic by any means, it clocks in at only 88 minutes, but it leaves you emotionally drained. A read of the IMDB comments section for this film shows there are large number of people who find it too hard to see the film more than once. This is a film that inspires tears; not those that might sneak out as Bambi's mother dies or that well up at the finale of Eternal Sunshine, but tears of actual grief. By this point, it doesn't matter that the film is animated - it's created more emotion than a live action film could ever do. As mentioned above, the original story was meant as an apology to the author's sister who died of starvation in the war as Nosaka admitted eating food before offering it to his sister.

Originally, the film was released as a double feature with My Neighbour Totoro, which is a coupling of possibly the most polar opposite films I've ever considered. Many school boards chose to show the film to their students to educate them about the horrors of war and how it affect society. This would be an excellent idea worldwide. These children are the "collateral damage" frequently talked about by politicians - dismissed as 2 words. In Japan, the film is broadcast annually on August 6th as a reminder of the costs of war.

Sadly, because of peoples' reaction to animation, the film hasn't received the attention it deserves. It really should be seen by as many people as possible. If you have seen it it's your duty to recommend it to as many people as possible.