Title: Departures aka Okuribito
Genre: Drama
Director: Takita Yōjirō
Format: Movie; 131 minutes.
Date: 13 Sep 2008

Synopsis: Kobayashi Daigo is a happily-married cellist who plays in a Tokyo orchestra. Due to constantly poor reception, the orchestra is closed down. This leaves Daigo having no alternative but to sell his 18-million yen cello and move back to his hometown in Yamagata along with his wife in search of a new lease on life. He spots a classified ad that states “Assisting departures” for a “NK agency”. Thinking it is a job at a travel agency, he goes for the job interview, and finds out that it is a position for assisting the “departed”. This puts Daigo on a journey through the hardships and values of life learned as a “departed’s assistant”, also known as an okuribito.

The Highlights
Story: Perfect balance between drama and humor, and wonderful transitions from one to the other.
Hirosue Ryoko: A big break to her career, where she gave an astounding performance.
Life values: The ironies of fate and the abundance of symbolism are both timeless and invaluable.
Plot: Impeccable pacing and amazing transformation from light-hearted humor to powerful drama.
Soul-cleansing experience: Priceless.

This movie won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2009 Oscars; now, how is that for an attention grabber? This was quite big news to the film industry because Departures was not considered to be the favorite to win the award, and it has been five years since a Japanese movie was nominated for the award, and over half a century since it was won by Samurai, The Legend of Musashi back in 1955. I fully understand why it achieved such a feat after watching it, and I will even go as far as giving a standing ovation for the movie which deals with a sensitive topic with flawless subtlety and features a story which cleanses the soul and imparts values of life.

Departures deals with the motif “death” as that is something lead character Daigo knows all too much about when he takes a job that deals with dead bodies. No issues are left out relating to his job, as every aspect is explored, such as the discrimination he faces by the people around him including his old friend and even his wife, the iron guts he needs when dealing with decayed corpses, and even getting embroiled in tense family problems. The story is flawless in transitioning from what begins as a light-hearted story, to scenes of powerful drama and raw emotions. Even a scene involving a simple spat between a married couple can demonstrate this, starting off with an amusing video scene, and slowly descending into a case of heartbreaking separation. The story is also multi-faceted as it explores the good side of the job. Each of the remains Daigo attends to has a story to tell, where he and his mentor, Shouei experience both gratitude and remorse from those left behind by the departed.

Each character in Departures embodies complexities and idiosyncrasies, which render them real and down-to-earth. Daigo is your typical married man who yearns to keep his marriage stable by all means; Shouei is the no-nonsense veteran who finds solace through good food and a secret garden room, and the public bath elderly couple are the stubborn pair who just wish to have the simple life even when they can have an easier one. Most importantly, the character which catches my attention the most is Daigo’s supportive wife Mika, played by Hirosue Ryoko who finally redeems her ailing career. After considerably barren years of mediocre roles, she finally plays a role where she shows her cheery side and an amazing level of maturity in expressing anxiety and grief from her husband’s job, rendering their onscreen relationship full of chemistry.

If there is one thing I can highlight about Departures that makes it astounding, it is the abundance of life values it imparts to the viewers. The life values come in two forms: the ironies of fate and symbolism. The depth of the movie is exemplified though the idea of fate - often addressed by various characters in the movie - and how it solves family problems in ironic ways. To be more specific, fate is truly ironic in reuniting Daigo with his estranged father through a funeral, an occasion he is unfamiliar with to begin. The subtlety of fate’s ironies is shown through this instance and others where the loose ends of different relationships are tied to become full circle. Furthermore, the lush symbolism is expressed with impeccable delicacy, be it the various steps in preparing the departed for the afterlife, or the stones found at river banks. The symbolism embodies poignant messages that both invoke emotions that cannot be expressed through words, and adhere the different events in the movie together.

I confess one thing about Departures: it is one of the Japanese movies which has done more than enough to move me to tears. The drama and humor are in perfect equilibrium, the values of life learned are timeless and invaluable, and the story is unforgettable for years to come. It has become apparent to me how it managed to win the prestigious award, by demonstrating how every minute of life should be cherished, and most importantly, showing how life and death affects people indefinitely. Life and death have never been so beautiful, indeed.

The Rating: 10

Reviewed by: AC