Something Cult, Foreign-Language or Indie #1: Grave of the Fireflies (1988).

Firstly, I apologise for not thinking up a better title for this. Trust me, I tried. Anyway, I've chosen to start a specific series of entries on here covering cult or foreign-language film I love, and after my article last week on '80s cinema I could think of just one movie to use as a segue into this series from that piece: for me the pinnacle of all anime, Isao Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies (1988).

Based on Japanese author Akiyuki Nosaka's semi-autobiographical novel, it follows 14-year-old Seita and his 4-year-old sister Setsuko in 1945 Kobe, struggling to survive in Japanese countryside after their village is firebombed. That's all I'll say about the plot because this is definitely one of those movies where the less you know narratively about it beforehand, the better.

But what an experience it is. Takahata himself was a child of World War II and thus, this story would've been very personal for him also. In fact, rejecting the commonly-held view of it as an anti-war film (although that interpretation is valid), he has said he actually made it as a response to what he considered '80s Japanese teens' apathy towards their elders' wartime experiences.

But whatever Takahata's agenda with it, he raised the bar, for animation in general, to a whole new level . The envisioning of each scene is just so authentic and clear-sighted, and his pacing of them very precise; not pedantic, but delicate and very calmly controlled. His screenplay also carefully explores every layer of the story very sincerely, from the crisis situation to the young siblings' many interactions.

Another powerful plus is Michio Mamiya's breathtaking score, and not to mention the vocal performances (in both the Japanese and English-language versions) are perfectly cast and it is very fluidly edited.

Admittedly, Grave of the Fireflies is a very depressing watch. But sadly, it is no less relevant now than in 1945, or 1988 for that matter, and whereas a lesser filmmaker would've handled it insincerely or too heavy-handedly, in Takahata's hand it easily avoids either of those fates. I'm even willing to publicly champion it over any of Hayao Miyazaki's works (though I do love many of them also).

Anime is definitely an acquired taste, but whatever you think of it, for content reasons alone Grave of the Fireflies should be essential viewing. Trust me.