When innocence becomes a part of someone's 'collateral damage', like the fireflies, they live for one night - and come morning, they are no more.
A simple yet heart wrenching tale of a brother and a sister - wanting nothing more than happiness - amidst the cruelty of human demise. Grave of the Fireflies is Hayao Miyazaki's storytelling at it's picturesque! Set in the era of the Second World War, the movie sets out with the story of two spirits - a brother and a sister - standing in the post war era of Japan. The movie begins in a train station where the little boy takes his final breath only to join his sister on the other side and relive the story they set out to tell.
The score of the movie is a harmony which gets complimented by its beautiful pace - which moves not too slow nor too fast - accompanied by it's mesmerising scenery and art. Hayao Miyazaki was himself born in the era of war. And most of the movies he has directed has shown the various faces of war. This movie is in a way his first hand portrait which strips the act of war down to its heinous cruelties.
But the most interesting part of this movie is that it is able to portray humanity and love in an era of hate and war. As the story progresses we are introduced to the family to which the siblings belong to. At first we are shown the way of life pursued by the upper middle class till disaster strikes and war turns all wealth to ruins. But that's not all. Even though the adults sought wealth and comfort the children simply sought happiness. And it is this pursuit of happiness and what little freedom they had left in them as living beings - that lead them towards the frosty hands of death.
Death is without a doubt quite the prominent feature in themes of war. But this movie approaches it like caressing a baby's head gently at first and then it hits just as hard.
The fireflies shine at night and slowly fall into an everlasting drowse by the morning. Like the humans in war who are even beyond a proper burial, at least - they decided - the fireflies should have their graveyard. And hence went the fireflies in their grave everytime the sun rose in the sky. And with each passing day the light got dimmer and dimmer till it fainted away into the purest of forms. And those forms now stand at the top of the hills staring down at modern day Japan, unbothered by the bustling city, finally together, happy and free.
The Grave of the Fireflies is one of the strongest anti-war films ever made. A beautifully produced work of art which shines as a beacon to remind us time and again the hideous nature of war.
