Grave of the Fireflies (1988 film) (original Japanese dub watched for review)

Director Isao Takahata is on record as saying this, the darkest Studio Ghibli work, was not intended as an anti-war film, but I suspect modern audiences would find it impossible to read it as anything else. “Fireflies” focuses on the most vulnerable during wartimes and despite some levity (the best involves someone declaring “Long live Hirohito!” as their town burns), it is uncompromising in its depiction of the horrors of war even as it sidesteps using needlessly grotesque and pointed violence to make its point. I can’t imagine many giving this repeated viewings, but I argue this is required viewing.

10