Sorry for the random post- I just felt like I had to say something about this film. It really was an unexpected emotion ride.
Did this film affect anyone else, or did anyone else think this film was exceptionally well-done? I just wanted to hear some other people’s thoughts on the film!
Does nobody really have any thoughts on this?
Oh well…..
This is the most horrifyingly depressing and beautiful film I think I’ve seen. Of course produced by the then fledgling studio ghibli, so the production quality is top-notch. For westerners it certainly is a different look at World War II, which for Japan (sort of like Germany) has become a dark stain on their history. But with all the "evil empire of Japan" crap that most people spin, it’s easy to forget that there were plenty of innocent civilians like this film’s heroes who were caught up in it. And if there is one thing that Japan and the UK and a lot of countries had to deal with in WWII that we didn’t it was fire bombing and civilian casualties. It’s a very sad film, I’ll agree, but certainly a very good one. Still one of the holes in my Ghibli collection, though.
Interesting fact about the film is that when Miyazaki wanted to produce My Neighbor Totoro, the company that was funding them at the time thought Totoro wasn’t enough to be released on its own. So the other Ghibli big-wig Suzuki (now a producer) pitched Grave of the Fireflies. Both films were produced simultaneously, and then released as a double-feature. Really? Totoro and Fireflies back-to-back? Talk about manic depressive – I hope they ran Totoro second ^_^;;
Regardless of location, this film was by far one of the best and most heart wrenching things I’ve seen. I never really gave a thought to Japan’s view of WWII besides that their emperor should have been a man and given his general what for before the situation had become that bad. This film though, I honestly cannot describe how I felt watching those siblings suffering. It did open my eyes and I’m now more sensitive to things like that.
Totoro would for sure have to be second or that would the worst night ever. I think it would have been fine on its own. Those two movies together don’t sound like a good mix… >.<
But yeah, the idea of Japan’s view during the war – I mean, not everybody in the country was an Imperialist soldier. I personally, on a humanist level, am appalled by the use of atomic weaponry on civilian population centers…but I do understand what the strategy was, and how many more thousands might have died on both sides if we had gotten up to invading Japan proper. I don’t like it, but it is what it is. But yeah, there are always people on both sides who don’t want the war, and who suffer for the actions of zealous – Grave of the Fireflies just happens to tell what has to be the most gut-wrenching story of it I’ve ever seen.
-Spring and Chaos
-A Night on the Galactic Railroad – the end just automatically laid a sadness on me
– A night on the taneyamagahara
watch these…please
Both Notgr and SaC are of print, so extremely difficult to find.
if you want to download here
http://www.bakabt.com/140229-night-on-the-galactic-railroad-ginga-tetsudou-no-yoru-cor.html
Sorry for the random post- I just felt like I had to say something about this film. It really was an unexpected emotion ride.
Did this film affect anyone else, or did anyone else think this film was exceptionally well-done? I just wanted to hear some other people’s thoughts on the film!
I watched it once. A long time ago. Unforgettable.
I can’t believe I just praised a montage. :notgood:
I agree
Totally agree, one of the saddest movies, get me everytime.