Grave Of The Fireflies: A Review Movie Review Sample

"Grave of the fireflies" is an animated movie that depicts the life in Japan towards the end of the Second World War. American bombers have just dropped canisters bombs that wrecks havoc across the Japanese cities. It tells the story of a young teenager and his sister in their struggle to survive after the death of their mother. The film is tragic and elicits a lot of emotions and compassion. The bombing event shapes the plot of the entire movie.
Seita, the young teenager and his sister Setsuko have a father who works with the navy. After the death of their mother, Seita and his sister are taken by their aunt who lives with them shortly. Fending for them becomes hard, and they are forced to leave. This is a compelling story of survival, and the director employs flashback to take the viewer through the young children's experiences.
The powerful emotions drawn from this movie makes for a unique view compared to its peers in the animation genre. Many animated films often drive viewers into tears but this masterpiece by director Isao Takahara instills grief. The film is dramatic and profoundly human only that it happens to be animated. One key feature in this film is the use of patience. The scenes are prolonged substantially so the viewer can have time to meditate upon them. This should explain why it elicits emotions.
Animation films especially in Hollywood often belabors to depict realism in the characters. "Grave of the fireflies" however does not attempt this. This animation adopts a unique style and employs symbolism. Paradoxically, this makes it the most realistic film of the ones I have watched in terms of the feeling.
The backgrounds used in the film depict Japanese culture at the time. The landscapes coupled with the animation provide great beauty. The characters are typical of Japanese animation with their big eyes and childlike bodies. They appear as dolls. The mouths are small when closed but very big when opened. When Setsuko cries, one can see her tonsils. This film effectively narrates the war by using ideas and not experiences.
The film is based on an autobiographical book by Nosaka Akiyuki. Akiyuki was a young boy during the time of the American bombing. His sister died of hunger, and he lived a life full of guilt as he continually blamed himself for her death. The book could have offered a good basis for a live action film that nonetheless could not match this animated work of Isao. This film is produced by the Ghibli studio which is the source of other great animation materials.
This film applies the concept of "pillow shots" that is a style that employs details from nature to separate two scenes. The visuals can easily pass for poetry. There are moments of rapid action, for example, when the bombs are falling and people running around. This is followed by a quietness that gives the viewer an opportunity to meditate on the consequences.
The film "grave of the flies" has not received the attention it deserves. This is probably because it is an animated film and not a product of Hollywood. Any animation fanatic must find this a good film because I believe it belongs to the category of the best world war movies ever produced.