1001 Club - Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

#787. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Why It's In The Book: "With an attention to craft and design absent from so much mainstream Western animation, several Japanese animators have subverted the traditionally child-oriented nature of cartoons (at least that’s how they’re often perceived) into grand achievements equal to any big-budget live-action film. In fact, as Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies readily attests, sometimes these animated films actually surpass their live-action equivalents, finding narrative freedom, emotional honesty, and a greater sense of artistic control on the plane of a two-dimensional set…

Remarkably, Grave of the Fireflies debuted on a double-bill with Hayao Miyazaki’s much lighter My Neighbor Totoro, and indeed it is hard to imagine audiences of children, let alone adults, making it through this powerful and disturbing film without being overwhelmed by sadness and disappointment in the seeming inevitability of human conflict." -1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

Member Ratings

Adolytsi - 9/10
"This is one of the most gut-wrenching, eye-watering, heart-stoppingly sad films I have ever personally witnessed, and though it got very close to unbearable as it was happening, after it was over I couldn’t help but have a feeling of catharsis."
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marie_dressler - 9/10
"It is fortunate that this film is animated. A live action film detailing the hardships these poor children must suffer would be just too hard to take."
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Movie Guy Steve - 9/10
"Hotaru no Haka is the definition of a 'must-see' film."
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Nicolas Krizan - 9/10
"more subtle and engaging than many live-action productions"
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Squish - 8.5/10
"Seeing the warm glow of [fireflies] against the night sky juxtaposed against a sky filled with firebombs deserves a gracious tip of the hat."
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Lindsey - 8/10
"The movie is powerful as it reminds us of the forgotten victims of war.  It also shows that animation is not just a medium of fantasy, but can portray the darkness of reality as well."
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Sunny D - 8/10
"The death of innocence is an unavoidable fact of life, and I get that, but it’s a brutal one as well, and while it’s important to acknowledge reality and not hide from the unpleasant aspects of it, it’s still incredibly difficult to meditate on grief and despair."
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Kim Wilson - 7/10
"Overall, Grave of the Fireflies is a heart-wrenching tale. The story itself is moving, and the ending is powerful. In addition, there are some compelling images that you won’t soon forget."
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Michaël Parent - 6/10
"It is a film that deals with problems that children should never encounter and that we hope that will never be repeated."
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Overall Rating: 8.1/10