Departures
The surprise winner of this year’s Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, Departures tells the story of a concert cellist named Daigo who undergoes a transformation following the death of his father and the dissolution of his Tokyo orchestra. Because he spent a fortune on a new cello for his now-defunct ensemble, Daigo retreats, guilt-ridden, to his picturesque hometown in northern Japan to look for work, with his obedient wife Mika in tow. He responds to an ad for a company called “Departures,” thinking it’s a travel agency, but discovers that the company caters to morticians who perform “encoffinments”—highly stylized and meticulous ceremonies to prepare bodies for burial or cremation. Daigo has mixed feelings about working in an industry that carries such taboo in Japan, but he can’t refuse the salary. Soon, he finds pride in helping grieving family members cope with the loss of their loved ones, but he still can’t find the courage to admit to Mika what he does for a living. Inspired by Japanese author Shinmon Aoki’s mortician memoir, “Coffinman,” Departures is a tonally eccentric, lushly scored, moving, and funny drama that uses the rituals of death to foster a greater appreciation of life.
Sponsors:
Consulate General of Japan, Junglecity Network, Inc., Seattle - Kobe Sister City Association
Cast & Crew
Director: Yojiro Takita
Producer: Toshiaki Nakasawa
Editor: Akimasa Kawashima
Screenwriter: Kundo Koyama
Cinematographer: Takeshi Hamada
Awards: Academy Award 2009 (Best Foreign Language Film)
Montreal World Film Festival 2008 (Grand Prix des Am
Music: Joe Hisaishi
Principal Cast: Masahiro Motoki, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ryoko Hirosue, Kimiko Yo, Takashi Sasano
Filmography: The Battery (2007); Ashura (2005); When the Last Sword is Drawn (2003); The Secret (1999)
World Sales: Shochiku Co., Ltd.
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(7 reviews)
User reviews
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Very good film for a broad audience, May 07, 2009
By richw
“Saw this in Palm Springs. It's a slowly paced movie that's very rewarding to watch. Well acted, visually beautiful with well fit music throughout. It wasn't quite as moving for me as Cherry Blossoms but it was still very good (technically that's not a Japanese film - but the style and theme of”
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Beautiful, May 23, 2009
By DParsons
“Like Mika, the wife of the main character, at first we are repulsed at Daigo's new career as a mortician, but we soon come to respect and appreciate the incredible final gift he gives to the family and the deceased. The cello music throughout is beautiful, and some of the filming and score borders”
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I suspect...., May 23, 2009
By erwinr
“...that this will be one of the biggest "cultural crossover" movies from Japan since Shall We Dance.
The beginning is a little unsettling at first, because the movie relatively quickly changes mood after the first few scenes, but once you get away from the gags and into the story, it flows”
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enjoyable, not a classic, Jun 04, 2009
By feliciam
“Entertaining movie that catches you unawares. Very good performances, although some of the characters are not as well-written as they could be, diluting some of the impact.
A lot of the humor relies on sending up of "types", which is sometimes very funny, sometimes a little forced. Overall”
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Well deserving of Academy Award, Jun 05, 2009
By Brookelangton
“This was the longest film I've seen at SIFF this year (just over two hours) but it did not feel like it. The pace, change of scenery, humor, all made this film very enjoyable. Departures is funny at times while still respecting the dead depicted in the film. You could hear people weeping at the”
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