Grave of the Fireflies

Isao Takahata’s 1988 animation follows Seita and his small sister Setsuko after an air raid on Kobe kills their mother, and they leave an aunt’s house for an abandoned shelter. The ending is given away in the first scene on purpose. Takahata said he revealed the children’s deaths at the start because knowing in advance leaves people more prepared for what follows. That turns the opening into a briefing: what is tested afterwards is endurance rather than curiosity. Takahata also rejected the anti-war label, arguing that anti-war films exist to stop wars and this one does not do that job. Colour designer Michiyo Yasuda had most outlines printed in brown rather than the usual black, a choice she made for a softer feel. Ghibli produced it not for Tokuma Shoten but for Shinchosha, the publisher of the original story. Ayano Shiraishi was five when she recorded Setsuko, the director having wanted a child the age of the part. It opened on a double bill with Miyazaki’s Totoro. A good fit if learning the outcome first strikes you as what makes the film watchable rather than what ruins it. Not for anyone who reads the soft brown line and the shared Totoro billing as a promise this can be put on for a child.