Forum - View topicAlex Dudok de Wit, Author of BFI Classics: Grave of the Fireflies
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FireChick
 Subscriber Posts: 2519 Location: United States |
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I keep reading conflicting reports about Takahata's intentions with Fireflies, and this doesn't help, either, but this web article I found (Japanese only): https://web.archive.org/web/20150818054904/http://www.kanaloco.jp/article/72742 says he didn't make the movie in order to guilt trip 80s teenagers at all. I don't know why people are still trying to push the idea that Takahata wanted to exploit a tragedy as a means to guilt-trip teenagers into respecting their parents, as the actual moral of the story is supposed to be that we need to empathize with people even when times are tough, as failure to do so can get others killed.
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andyos
ANN Associate Editor
Posts: 274 |
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Well, I don't know what 'conflicting reports' you've read, but the author uses abundant direct quotes from Takahata in his book to support his case. In any case, 'guilt-trip teenagers into respecting their parents' is a gross distortion of what's said in the interview - the actual phrase was "think about how they live their lives." As for your "actual moral" of the story, I think you're selling the film way short.
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Blackiris_
 Posts: 536 |
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This was a very insightful interview from both sides, thank you.
I've already ordered my copy. It is clear that Dudok de Wit is very knowledgable, way beyond the material available in English. I also agree that Takahata is severely underexplored in Western scholarly (and fan) circles. It's a shame that with the exception of some interviews and making-ofs, almost nothing of his extensive writings was translated. I'm glad there's now one more book covering Takahata available. I'll read it attentively while rewatching the movie and Toshio Okada's "lectures". And while I'm at it, I could also read the Ghibli Textbook on Fireflies and the collection of Takahata's musings. Been meaning to do that for a while, but Takahata's scholarly style and extensive cross-referencing isn't an ease read. But.not."getting" Takahata so easily is part of the fascination. |
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FireChick
Subscriber Posts: 2519 Location: United States |
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I suppose that is a valid point, and again, since lots of information on him and his intentions with Fireflies is untranslated, that probably contributes to why it's so hard to understand him. |
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