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Directed and produced by Isao Takahata, Grave of the Fireflies (1988) is an animated movie telling a story of war, grief, and tragedy. During an attack on their village two children, Seita and Setsuko lose their mother. Their father is a soldier in the Japanese army, currently fighting in the Second World War, so the children decide to temporarily stay with their aunt. However, as time passes, the aunt begins to treat Seita and Setsuko as if they are unwanted intruders in her household. As a result of their relative's attitude and lack of compassion, the children proceed to run away and move in an abandoned bunker which they try to transform into a home. As the story unfolds, it portrays Seita and Setsuko's experiences while dealing with post-war reality – hunger, illnesses, and loneliness.
Many analyses focus solely on the literal historical aspects of Takahata’s film, however, I believe that for a substantial reading of the story it is crucial to consider the symbolism incorporated into it. Multiple elements included in the movie carry figurative meanings that ought to be acknowledged in order to precisely grasp the essence of the movie. For the purposes of this text, I have selected three notably prominent motives: the notion of fragility, patriotism and historical legacies, and the motive of pride. Nevertheless, it is necessary to also include a disclaimer at this point in the text – this paper is written with complete awareness that the film features multiple more distinct themes that could potentially alter interpretations discussed in further parts of the text.
Fragility
The notion of fragility is one of the most pronounced themes present in Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies, and the title itself is already a suggestion of possible interpretations and readings. As stated by Mario Vargas Llosa, “though we virtually take it for granted, the title (...) is often one of the first clues to the quality and direction of the reader’s conceptual involvement and properly should be considered integral to the frame of the work.”. Although in this statement Llosa is referring to titles of novels, I find it equally applicable in the field of film analysis. In the case of Takahata’s movie, overlooking the meaning of the title and its implications for the analysis would most likely result in degradation of the whole interpretation. To further explore this notion in a clear manner, it is vital to provide a brief explanation of the plot of fragments of Grave of the Fireflies. At the very beginning of the movie, two main characters are introduced. Seita and Setsuko, or rather their ghosts, come out of a can that is laying next to Seita’s body. They are accompanied by a swarm of fireflies. Multiple times throughout the movie, the fireflies are described as beautiful but fragile creatures; they are one of the very few beautiful things in Seita and Setsuko’s life which mostly consists of trying to escape the war and its consequences. Following this thought, as well as taking into consideration the plot of the whole movie, one can assume that the titular fireflies refer to the main characters and their struggles in Japan torn by war. Similarly to the insects, the children are fragile and cannot endure the difficulties that they have to face in their everyday fight for survival. They metaphorically light up with appropriate for their age optimism and hope for the future, and they try to fend for themselves; however, it does not last long, as the lifespan of a firefly is very short. Alike the literal light of a firefly, the figurative light glows in the children intensely yet briefly - the reality breaks Seita and Setsuko’s spirits and it weakens them physically. At some point in the movie, Setsuko asks her brother “Why do fireflies have to die so soon?” but her question is left without an answer.
Pride
Although it is not as prominently and obviously its component as the notion fragility, another important element in Grave of the Fireflies that is significant for a clear understanding of the movie is the concept of pride. This particular notion is present in various forms within the movie. First of all, pride is a sort of a catalyst for Seita to take care of his sister by himself after their mother died. Their father is in the army and Seita gets into an argument with a relative they stay with for a short time so the children end up homeless and on their own. As an older brother’s duty, Seita has to protect and take care of his little sister. He genuinely does his best to find shelter and get food for himself and Setsuko. In his efforts, he even starts stealing and he gets badly beaten up, though in front of his little sister he puts on a mask and convinces her that everything is fine. However, as time goes by and Seita does not succeed in providing food enough for both of them, Setsuko becomes malnourished and sick, and as a result, she passes away. As much as Seita tried to take care of his sister, it was his pride that firstly became the reason why they left their relative’s house. It was also pride that stopped the boy from getting real help when Setsuko got sick; instead, he claimed that as the older brother who should be able to look after his younger sibling he had the situation under control. Nevertheless, it is not clear if Seita really believed so, or it was only wishful thinking that he maintained as a coping mechanism to deal with the position the children were unable to escape.
Historical legacies
The ending scene of Grave of the Fireflies presents the third theme mentioned in the introduction which is the notion of historical legacies. Since the movie is inspired by real events that took place during the Second World War, the themes of patriotism, obligations to the state and to the society, fight for the common good, etc. are very present throughout the whole movie. However, for the sake of this article would like to focus on the ending sequence and its meaning in terms of the notion of historical legacies. In the last shot of the film, Seita and Setsuko’s ghosts can be seen peacefully sitting together on a bench on top of a hill. So far the story took place in what looked like a rather rural area of Japan - mostly small villages and fields. In this case, the setting seems to have changed quite profoundly. As Seita and Setsuko look down from the hill, the landscape on the other side appears in front of them. However, instead of seeing simple countryside scenery, it is a large city that emerges before the siblings. I find this particular scene especially relevant in the discussion about historical remembrance. The urban landscape rises on top of buildings destroyed by war, both literally and figuratively. It signifies the need to keep in mind the historical foundations that contemporary Japan is built on, but this message does not apply only to Japan. It can be seen as a suggestion for all viewers who grew up in countries that experienced military conflicts in the past to remember and respect the history of their countries because in many cases it was the ancestors’ fight for freedom, their resistance, and sacrifices that allowed for the construction of a stronger society. However, at the same time, it is also a reminder that many innocent people such as children like Setsuko and Seita lost their lives, which is undeniably a significant element of the notion of historical legacies.
Final thoughts
Being a depiction of a tragic story of two children trying to survive in a country torn by war, Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies is an example of a movie that portrays the notions of fragility, pride, and historical legacies as universal themes. Although this article offers multiple starting points for discussions regarding these topics, the three aforementioned motives are only some of many more possible perspectives that can be considered while interpreting this movie. I believe that it is crucial not only to take into account literal meanings of the symbolic elements incorporated in the movie, but also to consider their figurative, more universal significance of the components examined in this text.
References
Rossman, Charles, and Alan Friedman. Mario Vargas Llosa: A Collection of Critical Essays. University of Texas Press, 1978.
Takahata, Isao. Grave of the Fireflies. Studio Ghibli, 1988.
Additional materials:
Interview with Isao Takahata: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRl0sjwx5Ac.
A short story by Akuyuki Nosaka: Nosaka, Akiyuki. "A Grave of Fireflies." Japan Quarterly 25.4 (1978): 445.