The Paradox of Space: A Review of Grave of the Fireflies
As an avid classical, jazz, and RnB music listener, I am accustomed to the power of silence: the use of fermatas, rhythmic breaks, and long chords to heighten and emphasize tension . These tense moments create opportunities for the artist to explore more powerful, satisfactory resolutions, and while various movies that I have watched employed this technique, I cannot name many movies that have done so more tastefully than Grave of the Fireflies. So many aspects of this movie are done right. Not right in the sense of cinematic standards, watchability, or digestibility, but more so in the sense that Isao Takahata creates a viewing environment that empowers the audience to grasp truly Seita's every emotional nuance. Furthermore, I find this movie all the more special because it achieves this level of empathy and connection between audience and character with limited dialogue. I refer to two specific moments that elevated the emotional influence of this movie. First, after the s