Grave Of The Fireflies.

Raziel

I thought this was fantastic, and very moving. I was thinking it could have been done as a live-action film, and sure enough, it was:

http://www.ntv.co.jp/hotaru/

CyTai

Yes, a very touching and amazing performance from all the actors and actresses.

Tears came bursting out after the next fifteen minutes. (T_T)

A MUST watch movie!

Karl Hungus

Raziel wrote:

I thought this was fantastic, and very moving. I was thinking it could have been done as a live- action film, and sure enough, it was:

http://www.ntv.co.jp/hotaru/

Well, as far as I know, both versions are based on a rather well-known book, so it's not a live-action adaptation of the animated film, just another version of the book.

Raziel

Yeah, I suppose! The book is semi-autobiographical.

americanCat

i think most of miyazaki's films are based on books. I know Howls Moving Castle is based on a book by Dianna Wynne Jones. I really liked Grave of the Fireflies, but it made me cry

Raziel

I have to admit, I shed a few tears, too!

Studio Ghibli's next project is an adapation of Ursula Le Guin's Earthsae series of books, Tales From Earthsea. I'm not familiar with those, but here's some info about the adap. from Ghibli's site:

http://www.ghibli.jp/20special/000357.html

Karl Hungus

americanCat wrote:

i think most of miyazaki's films are based on books. I know Howls Moving Castle is based on a book by Dianna Wynne Jones. I really liked Grave of the Fireflies, but it made me cry

Grave Of The Fireflies isn't Miyazaki though. It was directed by Isao Takahata.

psicic

For me, it's not only one of the greatest Studio Ghibli films that they produced, it's one of the greatest films of all time.

To describe it in one word: 'harrowing'.

This is a true anti-war film. There is no glory here, no regretful heroes in uniform, no depiction of a 'greater-good' to somewhat justify the cost of war. The horrific knock-on cost of war is depicted in such a way as to not seem over-moralising or sanctimonious or - as is often the case with Hollywood produced movies - be a 'wolf-in-sheep's-clothing' and glorify war more than anything else.

Perhaps that's because the struggle of the two main characters, Seita and Setsuko, seems more immediate then some treatise on the preceding war. And it's the mistakes the pair make while trying to survive - the understandable, human, prideful mistakes that are made so believably by the characters given their situation - that brings the movie to its heart-wrenching conclusion. The movie is, essentially, a multilayered classic.

I cried watching this film. That is effective film-making. It didn't make a mystery about what was going to happen, in fact it telegraphed it, yet I still cried...cried like a five-year-old girl. And anyone with a heart - convinced Hawk or die-hard Dove - would do the same.

Everyone should see this film at least once - even people who don't normally watch anime.

Raziel

Well said, psicic, I totally agree.

It's one of Roger Ebert's 'Great Movies':

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000319/REVIEWS08/3190301/1023

RichyX

I was a little underwhelmed by Grave of the Fireflies. This was primarily due to the amount of praise I'd heard for it prior to watching.

Still a very good film, really touching in places, but not one of the greatest of all time imo.

Raziel

I was actually surprized at how good it was, and I'd heard it praised, too! It really affected me.

lifegamer

For those that dont have it, its in HMV on special at the moment. €15 I do believe and worth every penny so i'm told. Yet to watch but i'm a gonna work on it! If its as good as howl's and spirited away, then i'm happy

Not trying to plug HMV r anything, just wanna give a heads up to those interested in getting a copy on the cheap!

Raziel

HMV...that's where I bought it!!:D

RichyX

Play.com has it for 9£ which translates as less then 13€.
Best price I've seen.

Rhyme

Saw it a while back and really enjoyed it, a powerful film if anything. Must pick it up for myself, worthy of any collection.

Fnz

A friend of mine watched it. He says if he had a soul he would have cried!

I particularly liked the cyber-punk vampires (with tentacles). I was amazed that they managed to work them, so naturally, into the story. Their drunken incest remains the most poigniant aspect of the film and I'm sure will stay with me and my grandkids for a long time to come.

Truly, they were the greatest heroes of them all.

CodeMonkey

americanCat wrote:

i think most of miyazaki's films are based on books. I know Howls Moving Castle is based on a book by Dianna Wynne Jones. I really liked Grave of the Fireflies, but it made me cry

Howl's Moving Castle is the only one of Miyazaki's movies that was based on a book I think. He wrote/drew the original manga for nausicaa before he turned that into one of his first big movie so I am not sure that counts. I am pretty sure he wrote and came up with the conceptual look for most of his movies but I could be wrong. Grave of the Fireflies has little to do with Miyazaki apart from the fact that it was made by studio ghibli.

Raziel

Fnz wrote:

A friend of mine watched it. He says if he had a soul he would have cried!

I particularly liked the cyber-punk vampires (with tentacles). I was amazed that they managed to work them, so naturally, into the story. Their drunken incest remains the most poigniant aspect of the film and I'm sure will stay with me and my grandkids for a long time to come.

Truly, they were the greatest heroes of them all.

Uhhh.....

CrazyTalk

Fnz wrote:

A friend of mine watched it. He says if he had a soul he would have cried!

I particularly liked the cyber-punk vampires (with tentacles). I was amazed that they managed to work them, so naturally, into the story. Their drunken incest remains the most poigniant aspect of the film and I'm sure will stay with me and my grandkids for a long time to come.

Truly, they were the greatest heroes of them all.

This made me laugh out loud, but I don't know what he's talking about.

Grave of the Fireflies was very good, but someone had told me it would be the saddest film I'd ever see, but I was never really moved to tears. Still good all the same.

Rei-chan

I first bought Grave of the Fireflies when it was first released here, and then made my mom watch it, and my friends, and loadsa other people too...And told people to watch it...
I love that movie, it's soo sad...It makes me cry every time.
The movie looks beautiful, too.

Fnz

Yeah.... I should probably actually watch GOTF some day. I've ben meaning to buy it for some time. I have very high hopes for it now - like I had for The Matrix sequels. Hopefully it won't dissapoint (like The Matrix sequels did).

The latest thing I've watched is the Fullmetal Alchemist series and movie which is brilliant. I goes from funny, cutsey parts (suitable for all audiences) to being really dark in places (less so!).

P.s. Sorry for the 'spoilers' in my earlier post

Raziel

Fnz wrote:

Yeah.... I should probably actually watch GOTF some day. I've ben meaning to buy it for some time. I have very high hopes for it now - like I had for The Matrix sequels. Hopefully it won't dissapoint (like The Matrix sequels did).

I truly recommend it. I was really moved by it.