Grave of Fireflies by Christiane Butler

Title/Year: Grave of the Fireflies/1988
Director/Birth Country/Year Born: Isao Takahata/Japan/1935
Budget: Approximately 3.7 million US dollars
Gross: Approximately 5 million US dollars
Synopsis: A young boy tries to survive WWII while taking care of his baby sister in Japan.
Narrative and Visual Keywords: Homeless, fireflies, healthcare, candy drops, hunger.
Political/ Social Commentary: This is very anti-war, it shows a less seen and very depressing side of what happens to Japan during WWII.
Historical Relevance/ Recognition: Based on a novel by a man who lost his own sister. He had blamed himself for her death, she died of malnutrition, something that contributed to Setsuko's death in this film.

Identify the central characters. Which characters are static and which ones are developing? Which characters are flat and which are round?: Seita is a round character, he along with his sister, Setsuko, are the main focuses of the film. We see some of his mother’s friends and his aunt and her family, but only briefly.

What facets of the central character’s personality are revealed by what he chooses or rejects?: Seita is shown to be a very stubborn character. He knows that he can’t take proper care of his sister but refuses to apologize to his aunt so that she will take them back in. In the end that turns out to be a fatal mistake.