10 Great Films With Soul-Destroying Endings
6. The Grave Of The Fireflies
If you’ve heard of this film then the chances are it has been accompanied by the words “heartbreaking” and “absolutely soul destroying”. Well, it hasn’t earned this reputation for nothing!
The film tells the story of two siblings as they try to survive in battle-ravaged Kobe, Japan, at the end of the Second World War.
A groundskeeper sorts through the possessions of a dead young boy (Seita) in a train station, throwing a tin of ash and bones into nearby grass. From the ashes emerges the spirit of Seita’s younger sister, Setsuko, who joins him as they board a train.
It is revealed that in the months prior to the deaths, the pair’s house was destroyed and their mother killed by a firebomb. The two are left to fend for themselves, for a period of time living with a hateful aunt before going out alone.
Seita tries his best to provide for his younger sister, taking risks and stealing, but she falls ill and a doctor confirms this is due to malnutrition. One day Seita returns to their hideout to find his younger sister hallucinating. He hurries to feed her but she dies before he can.
The ending moment is so bittersweet because they are at last reunited, healthy and well, but after such extreme hardship. It is heartbreaking to know that no matter how hard he tried, Seita could not keep his little sister alive and both of them succumbed to a cruel and brutal war.