The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009, becoming the first and only Japanese film to do so. It also won the Japan Academy Prize for Picture of the Year and became the year's highest-grossing domestic film in Japan.
Plot Summary
Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) loses his job as a cellist when his orchestra is disbanded. He and his wife Mika (RyÅko Hirosue) move from Tokyo to his hometown in Yamagata, where they live in his childhood home that was left to him when his mother died two years earlier. It is fronted by a coffee shop that Daigo's father had operated before he ran off with a waitress when Daigo was six; since then the two have had no contact.
Daigo answers a classified ad entitled "Departures" thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency only to discover that the job is actually for a "Nokanshi" or "encoffineer," a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. The ad's sole respondent, he is hired on the spot by an eccentric old man named Sasaki (Tsutomu Yamazaki), who becomes his mentor.
Daigo is initially reluctant to take the job, but he gradually learns to respect the profession and appreciate its value. He also develops a close bond with Sasaki, who reveals that he was once a cello teacher and knew Daigo's father. Daigo's work brings him into contact with various people who have lost their loved ones, and he witnesses how his ritualistic services help them cope with their grief.
However, Daigo's wife and friends are disgusted by his work and shun him. Mika leaves him after finding out what he does and returns to Tokyo. Daigo decides to stay in Yamagata and continue working as a nÅkanshi. He eventually receives a letter from Mika, who tells him that she is pregnant and wants him to come back. Daigo writes back, explaining his reasons for choosing his job and expressing his love for her.
Meanwhile, Daigo's father dies, and he is contacted by his uncle to perform the encoffining ceremony. Daigo hesitates, but Sasaki encourages him to do it as a way of reconciling with his past. Daigo goes to his father's apartment, where he finds a letter addressed to him along with his father's old cello. The letter reveals that his father had always loved him and regretted leaving him. Daigo plays the cello for his father's corpse, then prepares it for cremation.
Mika arrives at Yamagata and reunites with Daigo. She attends his father's funeral and tells him that she wants to stay with him. She also says that she wants to learn more about his work and accompanies him to one of his assignments. The film ends with Daigo and Mika happily watching cherry blossoms fall.
Critical Reception
Departures received positive reviews from critics, who praised its humor, the beauty of the encoffining ceremony, and the quality of the acting. The film has an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 108 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads: "A gentle look at life and death through the eyes of an unlikely mortician, Departures is marked by strong performances, wit, and grace."
The film also received acclaim from international audiences and won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, the Montreal World Film Festival Grand Prix des AmÃriques, and the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Feature Film.
However, some critics took issue with the film's predictability and overt sentimentality. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three out of four stars, but wrote: "The film is well done, but it follows a familiar pattern of sentimental humanism that I find too easy to anticipate." Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film two out of five stars, calling it "a cloying and manipulative male weepie."
Themes and Analysis
Departures explores various themes related to life and death, such as family, forgiveness, dignity, and acceptance. The film shows how death can bring out the humanity in people and how it can strengthen family bonds. Daigo's journey from a disillusioned cellist to a compassionate nÅkanshi reflects his personal growth and his reconciliation with his father. His work also helps him appreciate the value of life and the importance of love.
The film also depicts the cultural and social aspects of death in Japan, where there are strong taboos against people who handle the dead. The film challenges these prejudices by portraying the nÅkanshi as a noble and respectful profession that honors the deceased and comforts the bereaved. The film also highlights the contrast between the modern and traditional views of death in Japan, where cremation is the norm and encoffining ceremonies are rare.
The film uses music as a motif to symbolize Daigo's emotions and connections. The cello represents Daigo's passion, his father's legacy, and his bond with Sasaki. The music that Daigo plays throughout the film reflects his mood and feelings. For example, he plays a cheerful tune when he is happy with Mika, a melancholic one when he is lonely, and a solemn one when he is performing his work.
References
Wikipedia: Departures (2008 film)
Rotten Tomatoes: Departures
Roger Ebert: Departures
The Guardian: Departures
Wikiwand: Departures (2008 film)
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