Ever since I became a writer somewhere around 1996 or 1997, I've had an intense fascination and desire to create things that touch readers, whether through saddness, fear, or happiness, because I think that when a piece, either written or on screen, touches you emotionally, it leaves a lasting impact on you that can lead to a better understanding of the world around you, and even possibly yourself as well. And I don't mean the superficial thrill or sadness that merely makes you feel an emotion for a brief moment. I mean the kind that comes from a piece that contains depth, that the reader or viewer finds himself or herself identifying with and continues to think about long after they've finished reading or watching the piece. I think that as a creator, this is the greatest achievement one can reach, and I have the utmost respect and admiration for anyone who accomplishes this very thing which I so eagerly wish to achieve.
This morning I watched an Anime movie (for those not in the know, Anime is Japanese animation) entitled "Grave of the Fireflies". It's the sad tale, based on the semi-autographical book "Hotaru no Haka" by NOSAKA Akiyuki, which tells of the author's experiences during the aftermath of World War II, in which he lost his little sister to malnutrition, for which he blamed himself.
In "Grave of the Fireflies," 14 year old Seita and his 4 year old sister Setsuko lose their mother after the Allied forces bomb their village. Their father is in the Navy and at sea, and hasn't been heard from in a long while. Without going through the entire plot, suffice it to say that the story is a moving and frightening look back at the lives of two young children who should never have to face such horrors at their tender ages. The tone and mood of this heartwrenching piece is set from the very first scene, when Seita utters the fateful words "September 21st, 1945. That's the day that I died."
Before watching "Grave of the Fireflies" I'd heard that it'd been referred to by many, like movie reviewer Roger Ebert, as one of the greatest war films made, and after watching it, I have to agree. Only a person with the emotional depth of a gnat or the heart of block of wood could watch this film and not feel the emotional power of it. It's the kind of story that lingers in your consciousness long after, and forces you to see the true face of war, the REAL consequences and victims of the violence we seem all too quick to inflict upon each other these days. And the most incredible thing about this movie is its subtleness, its complete lack of political propaganda or any attempt to try to blantantly force a moralistic ideal down the viewers throat. Director Isao Takahata shows supreme trust in the story itself, choosing to use the beautifully illustrated film to portray the tale in all its moving glory.
In Japan this movie was shown in schools as an educational piece. I don't know if this has been done in America, but I think that it should. We need to learn to understand the entire spectrum of war, and on an even more basic level, we just need to teach our children the lessons of empathy and compassion so that when they find themselves in positions in which their decisions impact others, they'll take care to consider the consequences before making those decisions. I also think that every world leader should be forced to sit down and watch this film over and over until its message is ingrained into the nooks and crannies of their brains, because it often seems that compassion and empathy are qualities sadly lacking these days.
One thing I like about having this blog is that I get to share whatever I want with whoever chooses to read it, and mostly that will be fun (and often trivial) things. But my Grandfather often quotes the punchline from from an old joke he likes to tell, which ends with the words, "something ought to be said." Hopefully I'm not boring my readers when I go off on these little rants or whatever, but sometimes things touch me in a way that leaves me no choice.
Sometimes, something just has to be said.
-The WheelMan
