“Grave of the Fireflies” is considered Isao Takahata’s masterpiece. The Japanese animator wrote and directed “Fireflies,” which is based on Akiyuki Nosaka’s autobiographical account of the World War 2 firebombings. In the film, Seita is a teenage boy who loses his mother to the bombings while his father is serving in the Navy. He is forced to care for his young sister Setsuko by himself. This anime classic is often considered one of the greatest war (anti-war) films, but its themes are by no means confined to wartimes.
Seita and Setsuko first go to live with their aunt after losing their home and mother. Though she is hospitable at first, the aunt begins to turn on Seita. She calls him lazy and tells him that he should help Japan by fighting the fires, not hiding from them with his sister. She refuses to feed Seita and Setsuko rice (which she gives to her own children) because Seita doesn’t do anything. Another adult tells Seita to be brave like his father, echoing the aunt’s opinion.
Every character in the film fails to see Seita’s bravery. He eventually leaves the aunt’s house because he feels unwelcome and makes a home out of an air-raid shelter. He struggles mightily to provide food for Setsuko and keep her spirits up, but no one acknowledges it. No one considers caring for Setsuko to be legitimate work. Though the film is more than 20 years old and it takes place in the 1940’s, its message is still very relevant.
An under appreciation for childcare still exists throughout the world today. Fathers who chose to be primary caregivers are considered lazy, just as Seita was. Seita’s harshest critic was his aunt, a woman and a caregiver herself. Both women and men buy into the notion that childcare is woman’s work and that woman’s work is considered less important. “Fireflies” cries out for all those under appreciated caregivers, male and female. Seita’s struggle was so great and he was offered no assistance or recognition. He struggled until it broke him (don’t worry, the first scene of the movie shows him dying alone so it’s not a spoiler). Who are we allowing to break?
1 comment:
That was a beautiful movie and the book was great too! It really broke my heart to Seita try so hard to save his little sister and to see that no one else cared to help them. I think that even in war time people should seek to protect children no matter what.
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