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Their relationship is based on unconditional love and understanding. In the face of all the devastation and despair around them they are able to keep holding on to hope because of each other. It is the heart of the film.
In the opening sequence, after the first bomb fall in front of Seita and his sister, the film instead of cutting to a moment of terror or chaos, cuts to an empty bucket, an unused ladder, and a leaf floating in the water before they start running.
Isao Takahata, the director, uses the concept of ma beautifully, often using silences and letting the characters breathe and develop organically before intercutting it with the movement of the story.
While the film uses all the tools of the cinematic apparatus to its advantage, the visual language especially is exceptional. In a heart-breaking sequence, absence and grief are shown only through the darker empty interior spaces
Michio Mamiya's soundtrack is emotional and moving. They are mostly minimalist pieces using pianos and flutes creating an atmosphere around the according to the emotional need of the scene easily.
The narrative begins with the words, "September 21, 1945. That was the night I died.", The hero narrates the story after his death while he travels through the places of his past. The difference between the two points in time are established through the use of colour.
The film is a great anti-war film, showing the miserable life of the Japanese people during the Second World War. It shows the desensitization towards the suffering of other, and the constant fear and horror of the war.
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