Review Grave of the fireflies

This is the story of two children, Seta and his younger sister Setsuko, who lose their parents and then starve to death in World War 2. Although it usually against my policy as a reviewer to tell the ending of a movie, the ending is made clear at the very beginning. Perhaps only a tragedy of the greatest order can start off by telling the viewer the ending and Grave of the fireflies is a tragedy of the highest order. Like any great tragedy it envelops the characters like a noose.

Grave of the fireflies is a movie about war but not about violence. It is about the desolation and indifference of war that can be as awful as the direct effects of any weapon. It is the story of a young boy who tries, unsuccessfully to take care of his younger sister. This movie isn’t all doom and gloom, but the small happy moments in the film are inevitably crushed beneath the heel of fate and poorly thought out action.

Grave of the fireflies is a studio Ghibli production. In terms of animation quality nothing else needs to be said. Although technically Ghibli isn’t Japanese for very good animation, you can think of it as being so.

Grave of the fireflies is perhaps one of the best anime movies that you will ever rent. Yes I said rent. The emotional intensity of the movie is more than I and perhaps you can bear. Despite the big impact it may have on you, watching Grave of the fireflies a second time is a difficult prospect emotionally. That is the reason I suggest you rent as opposed to buy this movie. I give Grave of the fireflies a rating of very good/ excellent.

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