Ghiblapalooza Episode 2 - Grave of the Fireflies

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Oh my god. I had this recorded at one point and it fell into the abyss of recorded stuff that you promise yourself you'll watch someday. For once the day arrived, and I had only the dimmest recollection of what the TV guide had said - I think I'd even forgotten that it was Miyazaki, although I had the impression that it had similar themes. "I think it's about conserving a forest or something", I said to my partner. We watched it.

He's a genius. This was the saddest movie I have ever watched. It was magnificent. I'll never watch it again. It's one of the best movies I've ever seen. I'll never watch it again.

I was thinking that very thing as I lay in bed in that state between waking up and getting up.

I don't think I ever need, want, or could watch it again.

It's one of those movies that's too good not to watch, like Requiem for a Dream, yet you have to watch it at some point and you'll likely only watch it once.

I haven't been so wrecked after watching a movie since Requiem.

Crushing.

Requiem wrecked me. I should probably avoid this one. Thanks for the head's up Repo & Crayons!

mc - While this is a Ghibli movie, it's not Miyazaki. Does not diminish how powerful it is, though.

In High School my daughter had to pick a movie for her history class to watch that was related to what they were studying. She chose Grave of the Firefiles, and the teacher rejected her pick - saying that while it was incredible, he couldn't bear to watch it again.

But she stuck to her guns, and the class watched it, with the teacher crying quietly in the back.

It came back to theaters here recently and we thought about going to see it - but just couldn't. We did see Princess Mononoke on the big screen, though, which we hadn't done before. A treat!

Definitely a beautiful, haunting, and harrowing movie. I used to think it was a one-timer, but now I'm not so sure. Maybe I owe it to myself to revisit it every ten years or so.