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Posted by feliscumpleanos on 05.12.2013, 01:17 PM:

Grave of the Fireflies Question (Spoilers)

Hi Everyone,

I've read the posts on here for quite some time, but decided to make an account just to ask this question.

I just watched Grave of the Fireflies for the third time and was as moved by it as ever, but there's one part that always leaves me confused: why doesn't Seita withdraw the money to buy food earlier?

It would seem like a logical explanation would be that money has lost its value in the country's current state - with the bartering of the kimonos and other actions, it would make sense that he could only get food if he had something useful to trade for it rather than money. People often comment that they have no food to sell. However, the fact that he's able to buy such great food once he does withdraw it shows that money really could buy food in that situation. Is there some change I'm missing that suddenly makes this purchase possible?

Some people have said he does it once the war ends, which is true, but he doesn't find that out until he's already at the bank to withdraw the money, so he must have made the decision independently of that. The same could be said for not wanting to touch it out of respect for his father - he doesn't let himself believe his father is dead until he's actually at the bank, so he's already made the decision to use the money before he finds any of this out.

The only explanation I've found that sort of makes sense is that he's rationing the money (too much, perhaps) to make it last longer. What I don't get about this, though, is that he begins stealing, eating frogs, and feeling unbearably hungry before he ever even goes to touch it, so I don't understand why this option only becomes available in his mind once it's already too late for Setsuko.

Can anyone shed some light on this? Just to be clear, I really love this movie and consider it among the best I've ever seen, and besides this one point, all of its elements seem perfectly consistent with the characters' personalities and the situations they find themselves in. That's why I keep thinking I must be missing something, since after being so thorough and subtle with so many other parts of the movie, I can't imagine that Takahata would have left this unexplained. Thanks for your help!

Posted by Calforsale on 05.12.2013, 09:18 PM:

I also find it really silly too. I'm guessing he was trying to save the money as well. He is told his sister wont get better unless she gets food, yet he still waits this long.

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Posted by husky51 on 05.12.2013, 10:18 PM:

Remember one thing... He is NOT an adult, he is 14/15 years old.

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Posted by Calforsale on 05.13.2013, 02:07 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by husky51
Remember one thing... He is NOT an adult, he is 14/15 years old.

Very true. He's just lost his parents, and has to look after himself and his sister.

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Posted by feliscumpleanos on 05.13.2013, 03:32 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by husky51
Remember one thing... He is NOT an adult, he is 14/15 years old.

That's very true - plus we can see the nationalistic pride that's been instilled in him as the child of a soldier. I feel like that explains really well the decision not to go back to the aunt. Since most people agree it was the wrong move, it can be seen as a commentary on the dangers of pride, so I can completely understand why Takahata has him not go back.

I just find it weird that he'd act as if he had no other option than steal and starve the whole time, only to finally turn to the money at the end. But like you've said, I guess it supports the overall concept that he didn't make the best decisions despite his desire to help his sister, and adds to the tragedy of him trying to take care of her and failing. From what I've seen, looks like there's no real clear consensus on this!

Posted by husky51 on 05.13.2013, 03:44 AM:

He would have been of an age that war years, being trained in school, etc. in a military manner. He, like his brethren, believed that to give up, to surrender, was basically a sin. This mind set may have had something to do with his decisions as well...

Remember, he didn't have the knowledge that 14/15 yrs olds today have.

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Posted by Calforsale on 05.14.2013, 11:44 PM:

And of course it is just a movie, his actions reflected themes Takahata wanted to represent.

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Posted by Heidi80 on 05.15.2013, 07:33 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by Calforsale
quote:
Originally posted by husky51
Remember one thing... He is NOT an adult, he is 14/15 years old.

Very true. He's just lost his parents, and has to look after himself and his sister.

It's been long since I've seen Grave of the fireflies, but doesn't Seita realize his father is dead very late in the movie (when the war is over)? I've always interpreted it so that Seita waits for his father to contact him, so that he doesn't make the wrong decision. He saves the money because he believes that Japan will win the war and his father will be reunited with them (and they will of course need the money then). He only acts without his father's approval when he realizes little Setsuko's condition is life-threatening.