The Firefly is a very beautiful and sad movie about the destiny of young people during the world war II. The story is really interesting mostly about happened to the characters during the 40s and the 80s. The memory of war can't be erased.
3 Reviews
A Quiet Impact
ken-58319 February 2007
Western film makers, and especially American film makers, have presented their paeans to the soldiers who fought in WWII -- but I've often wondered how this topic was dealt with in Japan.
Rather than focus on heroics or bravery or battles or military might, "Hotaru" presents a simple and respectful portrait of those who survived and the lives they led. It is a simple story about ordinary people who lived through extraordinary times.
Others have commented that parts of the film seem disconnected -- I agree, in that certain story lines appear and the stop, as if the editor simply forgot to remove them completely when the director changed his mind.
And, indeed, some of the performances are bland -- but the work done by Takakura-san and Tanaka-san is outstanding. They present the soul of their generation -- and of their nation -- with nothing less than nobility.
Furuhata-san, the director, has used his camera with the softness of a lover's caress upon the scenery. There is a sense, in his deft touch, of the organic one-ness of man and nature found in Shinto beliefs. Each cloud, each wave, each blossom serves to help us understand the lives of the characters just as much as the characters help us understand the "Japan-ness" of Japan.
This is a lovely film -- you would be well-advised to see it with someone special.
Rather than focus on heroics or bravery or battles or military might, "Hotaru" presents a simple and respectful portrait of those who survived and the lives they led. It is a simple story about ordinary people who lived through extraordinary times.
Others have commented that parts of the film seem disconnected -- I agree, in that certain story lines appear and the stop, as if the editor simply forgot to remove them completely when the director changed his mind.
And, indeed, some of the performances are bland -- but the work done by Takakura-san and Tanaka-san is outstanding. They present the soul of their generation -- and of their nation -- with nothing less than nobility.
Furuhata-san, the director, has used his camera with the softness of a lover's caress upon the scenery. There is a sense, in his deft touch, of the organic one-ness of man and nature found in Shinto beliefs. Each cloud, each wave, each blossom serves to help us understand the lives of the characters just as much as the characters help us understand the "Japan-ness" of Japan.
This is a lovely film -- you would be well-advised to see it with someone special.
Life in the couple
shi61223 February 2003
The key concept came up to me from the film is "life". Husband survived due to unwanted accidental landing from the suicide attack of "Kamikaze" in WW2 where the nation treated young lives as consumables. Wife has been depending her life on artificial dialysis for years. Both have something special in terms of "life", and respect them each other. The acting performances of Takakura Ken and Tanaka Yuko are outstanding. Unfortunately, others perform poorly. Some episodes, the stowaways for example, are meaningless. I rate 7 of 10.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
