Grave of the Fireflies

⭐10/10

Sometimes I get into a mood where I want to watch an all-time great with the expectation of feeling completely moved, and that it the worst way to go into a movie. Building up the expectation of feeling something is a great way to feel underwhelmed. But that's exactly the expectation I had going into this movie, and yet when I say felt something... 

This movie is pretty much the saddest movie ever made. I kinda knew that going in, but I was struck rather by the beauty than the sadness. It is a movie about a teenage boy and his little sister surviving the American attack on Japan during WWII, and all the terrible, terrible hardships they suffer. But in the midst of all of that, you have these beautiful, tender moments of a kid doing his best, and a young girl not quite old enough to appreciate the horrors around her. It is heartbreaking, and while you know this movie is going for tears, it never feels inauthentic or contrived. 

One aspect that stood out to me was how well portrayed the main character is as a teenager. He is clearly not equipped to face all of these horrors, but he does his best with what he has, mostly acting out of love for his sister, even when it's misguided at times. There is this scene where he gets bad news and you can see him trying so hard to hold it together, but a teenage boy can only stay strong for so long! My eyes were, at minimum, in a hazy drizzle all movie, but moments like this made the dam burst and I spent a good amount of this movie sobbing. 

The director, Isao Takahata, was a boy during the air raids and you can tell this is a deeply personal story. He also directed some movies I love, such as Princess Kaguya which by now has become an all-timer for me. And what's this I see on his filmography? An anime adaptation of Anne of Green Gables? I always knew this man was a bosom friend and I will be watching in short order. He is truly a man after my own heart and his art resonates with me deeply. 

I had massive expectations for this movie, but within minutes I knew it was an all-timer for me (whereas Kaguya took some time to cement itself). I was in tears early on, and this movie never once made me change my mind. It is 90 perfect, tragic, beautiful, terrible minutes. It is one of the best movies I've ever seen, yet feels like one I will rarely rewatch, and only in times when I know I need a good cry.