Departures |  | Director: Yôjirô Takita
Actors: Masahiro Motoki, Ryoko Hirosue, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Kimiko Yo
Studio: E1 Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $26.98
Buy New: $12.46
as of 3/9/2010 21:38 CST details
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Rating:  51 reviews
Sales Rank: 402
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: Japanese (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Subtitled)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 130 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 6757
UPC: 741952675792
EAN: 0741952675792
ASIN: B002SF9YNO
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: January 12, 2010
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
When his orchestra disbands daigo kobayashi moves back to his h ometown and takes a job preparing corpses for burial. Too embar rassed to admit his new career to his family daigo keep his pro fession a secret until he learns the true joy and wonder of livi ng. Studio: E1 Release Date: 01/12/2010 Starring: Masahiro Motoki Ryoko Hirosue Tsuomu Yamazaki Run time: 131 minutes Rating: Pg13
Amazon.com
Departures is surely the gentlest, sweetest movie about death that you will ever see. A cellist named Diago (Masahiro Motoki) comes to the rueful conclusion that he’s not talented enough to make a career as a musician; having just returned to his hometown with his wife Mika (Ryoko Hirosue, Wasabi), he answers a job ad for what he thinks must be a travel agency... only to discover that company prepares bodies to be placed in coffins. Fearful of his wife’s response, he hides his new job--but as he grows to appreciate his boss (Tsutomu Yamazaki, Tampopo) and the affect that the humbling ceremony of cleaning and dressing the deceased has on their families, Diago discovers that he might have a calling. Departures won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and it’s easy to understand why. Though it starts out quietly and even seems slight, it gradually builds in emotional power, layer by layer, until scene after scene at the end is richly moving. Particularly affecting is the performance of Kimiko Yo, the secretary of the company, who harbors a troubling secret. A few moments of overt symbolism push the movie from compassion to sentimentality--but every time Departures seems to have lost its footing, a scene follows that strikes all the right notes so deftly it resonates like a bell. A truly marvelous movie. --Bret Fetzer
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 51
"Departures": A Moving Drama with Humor and Pathos April 6, 2009
Tsuyoshi (Kyoto, Japan)
81 out of 82 found this review helpful
The original Japanese title of "Departures" (2008) is "Okuribito" which means literally "a person who sends" in Japanese or in this case, "encoffiner," a person who performs a ritual at funeral before putting the body into a coffin. But you should not let the film's subject matter put you off watching the film because "Departures" offers a fascinating insight into life and death as well as a moving drama with universal themes. And believe me or not, it is also a comedy.
Yes, "Departures" begins with an amusing scene in which young okuribioto Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) is about to perform the ritual for the first time without a help from his employer and senior okuribito Ikuei Sasaki (Tsutomu Yamazaki). But in the midst of the solemn rite, Daigo notices something unexpected about the body. Not knowing what to do, Daigo asks for Ikuei's advice, but for what?
After the opening sequence that sets the overall tone of the entire film with the low-key comic approach, "Departures" follows the story of Daigo, formerly a cello player by profession, who starts to work as okuribito (formally called "nokanshi") in his hometown. During the film's two hours we are introduced to the work of nokanshi, which can be very hard at times, but the Oscar-winning film is also a great success as a touching drama about an ordinary man who discovers the meaning of his life through deaths.
Though some part of the script looks rather conventional, "Departures" benefits from the fine cast who has successfully become believable characters you can relate to. Masahiro Motoki is very good as the mild-mannered protagonist and so is Ryoko Hirosue (seen in "Wasabi" opposite Jean Reno) as his loving wife, but the film's best performance is that of veteran Tsutomu Yamazaki (Juzo Itami's "The Funeral"), whose slightly enigmatic character adds humor and humanity to the story as quiet employer (and mentor-like figure) of Daigo.
Shot in several locations (mainly Sakata City and Tsuruoka City) in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, "Departures" has stunningly beautiful scenes of the country, especially the one in which Daigo plays the cello against the snow-capped Mt. Chokai. Also, composer Jo Hisaishi (best known for Hayao Miyazaki's acclaimed animated films) gives a powerful and emotional musical score.
There is no word in English that exactly describes what a "nokanshi" does. He is not a mortician or embalmer, and not every funeral in Japan is attended by a nokanshi. I am Japanese, but I never even heard of the name before watching the film. Interestingly it is star Masahiro Motoki who thought of making a movie about nokanshi. According to the interview with him (in a pamphlet I bought at the theater in Kyoto), Motoki was inspired by his experiences in India and one book written by a real-life nokanshi. The book (though not credited in the film) is "Nokanhu Nikki" ("Diary of a Nokanhu") by Shinmon Aoki published in 1993. It took more than ten years for him to realize his idea of making this film and I am sure the wait was more than worth it.
In "Departures" director Yojiro Takita ("Onmyoji") did a fine job of telling a good story with just the right amount of sentiment, humor and pathos. I hope that you will enjoy watching "Departures" as I did.
A film that depicts the dignity & value of human life April 9, 2009
moviemusicbuff (Walnut, CA United States)
45 out of 45 found this review helpful
This movie is well-deserving of the Academy Award this past year for the Best Foreign Film. Though this movie talks about death and the vocation of "encoffining" (a ceremony ritual where the deceased is washed and dressed up in beautiful make-up and clothing to make it easier for surviving family members to pay their last respects) -- it is really about the celebration of the dignity and value of human life. We all have to die sometime but how do you help grieving family members to pay their last respects to their loved one with dignity and respect?
Many of the reviewers have done a great job of summarizing the story. I want to bring out some of the wonderful themes in this movie.
1) The dignity and value of human life -- seldom in a movie have I been touched by the message of how valuable a human life is. The vocation of encoffining was despised by the people in the film. Daigo also despised it at first, but then he got to see how important this vocation is -- how it is a different way to pursue an art and a science. In the beginning, Daigo tries to be a professional cellist -- playing the cello well is an art and a science. As he begins to get more involved in encoffining with the mentorship and coaching of his boss, he gets to see that encoffining is a very noble vocation -- the whole goal is to help grieving families to say goodbye to their loved one with dignity and respect. The grieving families get to see the bodies of their loved ones treated with tender affection and displayed in a beautiful way. As Daigo discovers, along with people close to him, "encoffining" is just as much an art and a science as playing the cello, but with even more impact for humanity. The first and last scenes of the movie are fitting bookends.
2. Reconciliation and acceptance -- The movie also shows the powerful impact of reconciliation and acceptance, as Daigo discovers in the film. Sadly, some of the characters in the film had a hard time to accept family members while they were alive, but the graceful and beautiful encoffining ritual helped them to see the deceased family member in a new light. There was reconciliation and acceptance that finally took place.
3. The breaking down of stereotypes -- One of the wonderful aspects of this film is the portrayal of stereotypes and how they are dismantled. The typical Japanese person has the negative stereotype of the vocation of encoffining as "dirty". However, when they get to see how important encoffining is to help family members pay their last respects to their loved ones, and witness the beauty and grace of the ceremony, their stereotypes are broken down, and they come to see the nobility of this profession. We all have negative stereotypes either of people or vocations, but when we become better informed and reach more accurate understanding, our negative stereotypes are broken down, and we become more respectful and accepting of other people who are different than us. We come to see that the great majority of vocations are very noble in their own right.
4. The importance of telling loved ones how much they mean to you when they're still alive. As Daigo gets more contacts and more work in encoffining, he begins to see the importance of telling his loved ones how much they mean to him. One of the most touching moments in the film is when Daigo clings to his wife and tells her non-verbally how much he loves her. After dealing with death on a daily basis, he comes to recognize how important his loved ones are in real life. He comes to treasure life and the lives of his loved ones.
There are excellent reviews written by the others who have so eloquently described this film. I wanted to share with you how I was moved by the positive themes that were expressed in such a graceful and artful way by this remarkable film.
This is a movie that will move you deeply and touch your soul. You'll remember this film for a long time. Highly recommended!
A Journey with Dearh February 23, 2009
Amos Lassen (Little Rock, Arkansas)
63 out of 66 found this review helpful
"Departures"
A Journey with Death
Amos Lassen
Oscar winner for best foreign film 2009, "Departures" is the story of Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki), a cellist in an orchestra that has been dissolved and he finds himself without a job. He decides to move back to his home town with his wife and to begin searching for work. He answers an ad, "Departures" assuming it as an advertisement for a travel agency but what he discovers is that the job is for a funeral professional who prepares dead bodies for both burial and for the next life. He loves and takes great pride in this job even though his wife and friends hate it. He looks at this job as being a gatekeeper between those that have died and their families and through his job he discovers the wonder and joy of being alive.
Most people look down on those who earn money from death as Daigo, himself, did at first. Little by little, he comes to a new understanding of his own life and he draws us in. We also learn about a wonderful ceremony and it is incredible to watch as the undertaker handles the corpse with complete and total care and reverence and precision. How many of us are really aware what goes on as a corpse is prepared for burial and as we see this we gain a new respect for those that prepare the dead.
Death, as we see it here, is a step toward another world and even though this is a Buddhist ideal, we can all relate to it especially if we have lost someone that we have loved.
This could very easily have become a movie that abounds with sentimentality but the it does not, It plays with our emotions without overt manipulation. Motoki turns in a brilliant performance which both makes us laugh and has us understand inner turmoil. We see the real pain of death as it stays with those who remain alive, the mourners. It is rituals like what we see in "Departures" that comfort and enchant us and see us through the pain of loss. The movie will male you laugh and make you cry and it is played against a beautiful and intriguing orchestral score.
Memorable, powerful and insightful. March 31, 2009
gyoza
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
The movie transcends culture and talks about universal topics, dealing with uncertainty (losing one's job), death and its positive and negative impacts on people's lives. It can therefore be understood and appreciated by a wide audience which has been shown by its recent award for best picture at the Montreal Film Festival.
Set in the present day the film tackles a number of issues including losing ones job unexpectedly and making the most of new opportunities. The impact of losing a job on a relationship. The importance of money on a relationship, the importance of having "the right" job in the community, difficulties of sharing bad news, difficulties of sharing one's feelings, difficulties of starting a new job, difficulties dealing with customers and dealing with death. The implications of dealing with the emotions of losing a loved one, dealing with personal family issues, watching the emotions of others who lose a family member and saying goodbye to family.
The movie delves into the layers of complexity in culture, relationships, expectations and family. It does this simply and without fuss by showing people in their daily life, dealing with challenges.
Masahiro Motoki who plays Daigo carries the film with his humble approach and ongoing spirit. His wife played by Ryoko Hirosue reveals the fragility of their relationships and playing up to social norms. Kimiko Yo as the undertakers receptionist is a relaxed character who balances a somewhat difficult job by adding humour and insight. Tsutomu Yamazaki plays the head undertaker and portrays the typical boss, leaving the underling to learn by example. A man of few words who allows Daigo to explore his new job and to discover the insights the job has to offer.
From a western perspective a few themes may be hard to understand.
For example: the disdain of working with "the dead". It seems that "undertaking" is a real cultural taboo but it is not explained or discussed, just presented.
The fragile nature of Daigo's relationship with his wife and her unhappiness of him having a paid job.
Make no mistake the film is a tear jerker. It has a number of powerful scenes that will deeply involve you.
It is a simply shot movie with strong characters set in the present day. It allows western viewers a front row seat into Japanese culture, relationships and dealing with grief.
Heartwarming film with universal themes May 8, 2009
buru buru piggu (New York, NY USA)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
"Okuribito" is the story of a failed Tokyo musician, Daigo (Masahiro Motoki), who returns to his childhood home in rural Yamagata in northern Japan to find himself. Seeing an ad in the newspaper for "someone to assist with journeys", he shows up at NK Agency for an interview.
Upon meeting the boss, Mr. Sasaki (Tsutomu Yamazaki), a brusque and humorous exchange takes place in which he tosses Daigo's resume onto the coffee table and hires him after asking a total of one question. Daigo is taken aback by the boss's nonchalant attitude (he doesn't know Daigo's name and plays with a potted cactus), lack of details, and high salary offer of $5,000 a month, paid in cash.
After finding out that the ad was the result of a misprint and the job involves en-coffining the deceased, Daigo becomes very uncomfortable and tries to refuse. Sasaki hands Daigo $200 just for showing up, and says it is fate. This is a word that will come back again several times in the film. Needing the money, he takes the job reluctantly and goes home to his wife. Not wanting her to know what he has done, he tells her it's ceremony-related, which she assumes to be a wedding hall. Daigo does not correct her.
The interview scene is perfectly acted and timed, and just one example of the superlative acting and nuances in this film. For speakers of Japanese, there are added layers of complexity that simply does not translate, so it's worth explaining briefly. While Daigo's speech is polite Japanese (as would be expected), Sasaki's is brusque "Ah, kimi ka?" (Oh, it's you.) Hearing the residents of the town speak the rural Yamagata dialect is also a lot of fun. Daigo's speech through most of the film is polite Standard Japanese.
Of course, an understanding of Japanese language and culture is not a pre-requisite for enjoying Okuribito. While the film is distinctly Japanese, the themes of love, self-discovery, dedication to the perfection of an ideal, and finding peace with oneself, with life, and with death, are universal. Death, a taboo subject in many societies, including our own, is treated here with humor, respect, compassion, and wisdom. It is easy to see why this film won the Academy Award for best foreign film and went on to be a runaway success in Japan. As the movie progresses, Diago becomes more confident in himself and accepts his fate. Seeing the love that Mr. Sasaki devotes to his work and the gratitude of the grieving families, Daigo soon comes to take pride in his job.
The movie is filled with charming characters and heartwarming moments, like the Zen-like old man at the bath house and its owner, and Mr Sasaki. The fatherly Sasaki becomes a surrogate father for Daigo, who's own abandoned him and his mother at a young age. (Fans of Japanese cinema may recognize Yamazaki from the classic film "Tampopo".)
This is an excellent film that will warm your heart and is worth watching again and again. I am looking forward to its release on Blu-ray and DVD.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 51
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