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makc
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Hello,

and I assume there is no need for spoiler warnings here (I mean we all saw it, right), so the movie ends with these two kids looking at modern city, which means they are around for half of century after the war ends. But how come in all that time they never met their mother?


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Post last edited by makc on 07.13.2016, 07:53 AM.

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Saddletank
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Been a long time since I saw the film but IIRC that end scene is symbolic. They both died in the war.


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husky51
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Yes, again, like Saddles, iirc, the father died aboard ship in the navy and the mother later and the kids try to survive trying times...

I'll say no more...


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makc
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it is obvious that kids are ghosts from the very beginning of the film where the boy says loud and clear that he died. it is also obvious that the mother died, too, since they burned her body. the question is, how come whole family is not re-united as happy ghosts family, and it's only boy and girl?


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It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so loving what - Stephen Fry.

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I wouldn't say they are ghosts from the beginning of the film; the film is clearly their story of their experiences in the war when they are very much alive.

In effect the entire film is a flashback.


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makc
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true about flashback, but kids tinted in red are ghosts.

otherwise, you could say that they are dying boy dream or hallucination, but then the last scene (with modern building) does not make sense.


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It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so loving what - Stephen Fry.

Post last edited by makc on 07.13.2016, 11:02 AM.

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Seiji Amasawa
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All I remember of this film is how depressing it was, I'll not watch it ever again. War is hell, not only on the soldier but the people it affects. This movie is one of the best depictions of why this is so.


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Agreed. I, too watched it once and won't again. Just too upsetting.


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makc
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quote:
Originally posted by Seiji Amasawa
This movie is one of the best depictions of why this is so.

An overstatement, I'd say. If anything, this movie is one of the best depictions of kids unable to take care of themselves. If the boy returned to that woman, he'd have to put up with her shit, but both him and his sister would likely survive.


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It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so loving what - Stephen Fry.

Post last edited by makc on 07.21.2016, 08:12 PM.

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No, the woman cast them out, that was clear. She didn't have the resources to feed and look after them, or the social concern to do so. The war's pressures had forced her to only look out for number one as well. Its definitely a story of innocent suffering in war rather than the inability of youth to cope with the adult world.

Its an anti-war film and probably one of the finest made.


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Seiji Amasawa
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I found the film did too much of a good job of depicting the horrors of war. By this I mean it was so well done that I never want to relive it again, like a real war. So in a way this is why this is one of my least liked Ghibli Films. I’ll explain why, for me if I watch a movie it needs to have some feel good moments or something to say “Oh well that was sad but this happened so it’s better then nothing”, but for me all I felt was lose after lose and an impending doom throughout the film. I’m sorry but being a Soldier and a Farther and seeing the death of children so well depicted is something I don’t like to see. War is bad, very bad, we need to understand it, but not live it or see it like this.

These are just my thought about the movie. Sorry it’s hard to put into words what I exactly mean but I hope you understand.


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Post last edited by Seiji Amasawa on 07.24.2016, 11:04 PM.

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husky51
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The passion and the horror of the plight of the the children and their ages is what does it in for me and makes me not to want it ever again. As I've said in here before, I was 9-1/2 when my sister was born and she was 3 days old when I gave her the first bath at home... From that point on for many, many years I seemed to be her primary caregiver and had recurring dreams (nightmares?) about having to climb a tall ladder with her in my arms with a bowl of food.

She would sit on my lap while on a small, round platform at the top of the ladder while I fed her and at some point, she would fall. I would then try to beat her to the ground in order that she might land atop my body and be saved.

I lost count of how many times I had the same dream...


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makc
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quote:
Originally posted by Seiji Amasawa
it was so well done that I never want to relive it again... it’s hard to put into words what I exactly mean but I hope you understand.

I think it was perfectly clear statement. I totally with you on this one, e g I happened to see martyrs-2008 and now when they re-made it in 2016, I don't want to see any of that crap. The movie can have all the good acting in the world (or animation, whatever) in it, but if it's so dark you don't want to see it again, it does not matter.


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It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so loving what - Stephen Fry.

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the first time i watched this, i was determined to never watch it again. it was so well done, it broke me.

however, last year i decided to watch the films chronologically, and fireflies was of course included. the second watching was not so heart breaking, as i knew what to expect. instead, i was able to appreciate the artwork, and follow the brother/sister relationship.

the lack of action by the adults is amazing, but i also recognise many did not have the choice or ability to be of much help. knowing this happened in real life, it amazes me that japan was able to become the power house of technology that it is, given it must have been almost an entire generation of children that were lost.

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makc
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well they have like 200% of GDP public debt, it's not that hard to be the power house of technology under these conditions.


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It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so loving what - Stephen Fry.

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Good point Makc, I didn't think about that. It's really weird they hadn't encountered their parents as ghosts when they were all dead.

What bothered me the most in this movie is: Seita has access to his parents' savings, right? He used it to buy food for him and Setsuko at the end, but he was so late she died from malnutrition. Why the hell didn't he withdraw that money sooner? I know it's supposed to be an emergency fund, but if their situation wasn't an emergency, WHAT IS? He bought a **** ton of food at once including FRUIT which I've heard is expensive in Japan. Why didn't he buy rice little by little instead of this? I mean, it's well known Seita made the worst decisions but this did not make any sense to me.

quote:
Originally posted by Saddletank
No, the woman cast them out, that was clear.


Seita was old enough to work yet all he did was fool around at her house. She got angry at him for that. She wanted him to take an attitude but since he was so proud of himself he refused to do it and instead left her home so he and her sister could do whatever they wanted. At what cost?

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makc
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quote:
Originally posted by belborges
It's really weird they hadn't encountered their parents as ghosts when they were all dead.


Yes, after this scene



it seemed a matter of time until they open the box and release / awake mother spirit, but half of century later it still did not happen. Son, I am disappoint.

quote:
he was so late she died from malnutrition. Why the hell didn't he withdraw that money sooner?
In the end they both died from malnutrition, no? By withdrawing sooner she would live another week, but then what? Back to no money situation.

quote:
Seita was old enough to work yet all he did was fool around at her house.
Imagine hating to work so much that you would rather starve to death. He was one lazy son of a RESPECTABLE WOMAN.


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It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so loving what - Stephen Fry.

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husky51
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He was fifteen years old!!! 15!!! How many children of that age and having gone through the horrors of losing their parents, especially the mother... How mnay have the capacity to make intelligent decisions about himself and his sister?
Me? by the time I was 15 I had taken care of my sister for 6 years by that time, but I was backed by our parents during this time as well. In a like situation would I have done any better, I would hope that I would have, but who knows, who freaking knows!!! Thankfully, I never had to deal with our lives in a like manner... When my sister and I were hongry one evening, i knew we were having chicken that night and having seen Mom prepare it before, I did as she did, although I used a cookbook to figure out how she did it, specifically. I boiled and mashed potatoes... This was the first time I had ever prepared an entire meal on my own. I had fried eggs before, but this was something entirely different. When the parents came home, dinner was ready.
The thing is, did Seita ever have the opportunity to learn any of this stuff? If so, when? btw, I was 13 at the time. My mother had raised me well and able to take care of myself. Washing clothes, in an old wringer washing machine, hanging up to dry; ironing clothes; folding and putting away; sewing, I earned a lot of cigarette money in the Navy doing sewing jobs for the guys on the ship. At 11-12, I raised rabbits and butchered and dressed them and sold them in the neighborhood either dead or alive, for food or pets... we also raised chickens, but dad always did the killing and mom the preparing of them for the table. But I had watched and knew how to do it if I had to... And this didn't count the produce garden I was responsible for. Note: we had a big back yard. I've hated gardening since then. I've done it as an adult, but never enjoyed it.

The point that I'm trying to make is that my farm country raised mother taught me how to take care of myself and my sister in an emergency... Did Seita have this training? I don't remember any, but it had been a long, long time since I have seem GotF...

Sorry for going crazy with the writing...


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makc
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quote:
Originally posted by husky51
He was fifteen years old!!! 15!!! How many children of that age and having gone through the horrors of losing their parents, especially the mother... How mnay have the capacity to make intelligent decisions about himself and his sister?
Me? by the time I was 15 I had taken care of my sister for 6 years by that time, but I was backed by our parents during this time as well.

oh but belborges' point is that he was also backed by the adult woman, and him losing that backing was all his own doing.

and once he did, he just could not handle life, because he was 15, like you're saying.


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It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so loving what - Stephen Fry.

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husky51
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If I remember it right, the adult woman was their aunt?


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