Departures

Rating: 9.4/10

Genre: Drama

Overall value for money and time: 9.6/10

This japanese movie deserves more than a standing ovation, it's simply one of the best japanese movies I've caught thus far. 2 simple words to sum up this movie. Elegantly Beautiful. My attention was undivided throughout the movie, and though I was fairly disappointed by the abrupt ending, it swept me off my feet when the credits rolled. A cellist who lost his job took up a new job as a funeral professional who prepares the deceased for burial and into the next life. Despised by most close to him, he battles all prejudices and finds new meaning in his life. A heartfelt movie with a handful of comical moments despite the seriousness of the theme. One sees life and death through a different light and the movie brings into perspective the harsh reality of life, that we all die some day - whether "beautifully" or not so "elegantly".

*Spoilers up ahead*. Apart from the abrupt ending, there was a scene near the end of the movie where I wasn't too fond of either - the protagonist's father lost grip of a stone, and it fell to the ground. I thought the slow motion cut back shot was unecessary in emphasizing the point. The director could have simply freezed the shot for the effect to kick in while keeping the scene in real time. Still, it's just my preference, but the ending did catch me off guard. I expected the father's belongings to be revealed or something. And yes, one of my favourite actress of all time, Ryoko Hirosue, can't really act. Though she had a minor role in the film, there was a good 15 mins of screentime at the end for her to showcase her acting prowess, but she failed to deliver. That's about all the bad points I can find about this movie.

There was a subtle NG shot near the start of the movie - where the protagonist was dining with his wife and he saw a job ad in the newspaper. He lost grip of a pickle, and popped it into his mouth in a natural way. Normally, this would take away the "perfection" of the cinematography, but I believed the director liked it so much he kept it that way. The struggle of life from animals' point of view such as bird flocks and salmon were disguised as scenic shots portrayed throughout the movie. I liked the way the director added comic relief through morbid scenes such as the first death of the old lady. The audience were ironically laughing their hearts away at the protagonist's expressions even though it should be a sad scene. I didn't even feel right laughing at that point, but couldn't hold my laughter as well. The tempo and mood gradually changed into a more serious and teary feel. There were hints throughout the movie the characters who were going to "depart" next but I thought the climax was the scene where the lady owner of the public bath passed away. Her death brought together the prejudices of the conservative japanese society and knocked them over like dominos, as one truly learns to appreciate the nature of such a job. Her death alone impacted most of the characters in the movie. I came to realise the harsh reality of such jobs, where 3 lonely people whose lives were slowly unravelled throughout the movie, unappreciated by the public, come together with a common goal - to bring peace to those deceased.

There were many subplots in the movie intertwining to boost this movie to near perfection. The support of your spouse, the "need" for a father figure, the prejudices of the public, the struggles in life, finding meaning in life and overpowering remorse are a few examples. The scene where the protagonist and his boss were having a meal of pufferfish roe together, and where they were both licking their fingers after the meal represented how the protagonist subconsciously sought for a "father" figure. The feelings of his father who abandoned him and why he didn't return after all those years was explained by the lady who worked together with him. Basically, the movie wasn't as simple as it seemed. I'm sure there were more of such scenes which I missed. And most importantly, I thought the significance of the stones was a great asset to the movie, in connecting the plot and creating a greater kicker ending. Also, one mustn't overlook the purpose of the musical instrument used - the cello. It has a mellow tune to it which enhanced the theme. I thought to myself, why wasn't a guitar used instead? Why not a piano? A violin would have similar effects but it lacked the "majesticity" in terms of size. The piano brings about a more romantic tune, similar to the guitar. The cello on the other hand, has the size, the elegance of how the instrument is played (which can be observed in the poster), and the low mellow tune which blended in with the theme like bear and honey.

Personally, I think the success of the film was hugely contributed by the protagonist's professionalism in acting. He was able convince the audience of his role, brought laughter, tears and appreciation to the profession. Of course, with a great blend of everything else - plot, casting, humour, dedication, romance, forgiveness, this movie will not fail to touch your hearts just like it did mine.