The Orphan as Mirror: Postmodern Alienation and Societal Crisis in Japanese Film

Abstract

This paper discusses the cultural significance of orphans in the post-modern media, using as a case study two Japanese films: Grave of the Fireflies and Nobody Knows. Through comparing the films and examining their approach to the orphan storytelling this paper attempts to gain insight into post-modern Japanese attitudes about social issues. By analyzing the appeal of the films to Japanese and international audiences, it also attempts to explain their popularity by drawing parallels between the main characters of each motion picture and the average postmodern citizen