Isao Takahata's Hotaru No Haka, one of the most heartbreaking movies I've ever seen. I cried my eyes out and consequently felt like a fool. It was such an incredibly beautiful film.One of my favorite past times when I was little was to pour over the photos in my dad's many World War II books. I wasn't morbid, I was just curious as any child would be and also, I think, addicted to the emotion the pictures inspired in me. I looked long and hard at all the emmaciated concentration camp inhabitants and the charred remains of Japanese soldiers taken dow
n by American flamethrowers. The ones of children were especially examined. These are the two that stick with me the most vividly.Although most people would probably say this
was too much for a child of my age to be exposed to, I think it was good for me. It gave me a better understanding of war than I would have had, I think, had it been otherwise. I understood that the "bad guys" were human too, that their deaths were just as tragic as the deaths of those from my country. Although I was not blind to Hitler's evil, I found myself heroes from both sides of the battle lines, acknowledging the courage and sacrifices made. I never took war lightly.At any rate, the point of all this rambling has been that this amazing film rewoke all these old thoughts and emotions. I've been a practical Hamlet these last couple days, brooding away. I thought I'd take a whack at trying to write down some of my thoughts.
On a happy note, I'm glad to have found Isao Takahata, for now that I'm almost done with all the American released films of Hayao Miyazaki I'll have another animation director to move onto.
