Movie Recommendation: Okuribito (Departures)

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Note: If you are in a mood to reflect on life, death and family and relationships, this is it. This movie is available on YouTube (yay!) with English subtitles.

IMDB entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1069238/
Genre: Drama, Family, Japanese

Jumping right in. This is the story of an unemployed cello player Diago, who leaves Tokyo and returns to his hometown to find himself a job. He mistakes an ad in the local paper for a job in a travel agency only to find out later that the job is of a "Nokanshi" or NK agent - a professional who prepares deceased bodies for funeral. He is despised by his wife and friends for taking up such a forbidden job. But in this job Diago finds himself, reconciles with his dad and understands the true meaning of life, relationships and death.

Before I continue, a fair warning that this movie can be slow in parts - but rightly so. It is only by taking time to reflect you tend to appreciate both the beauty and sorrow in life. This movie is in the same genre as Akira Kurosawa's "Ikiru" - a poignant reflection on the meaning of life when you watch death in the face. This is also a story of loss and how painful it is to realize you no longer have that privilege to spend life's cherished moments with your loved ones.

The movie has a soulful background score that elevates the mood in the story. There is also plenty of good old-fashioned humor (specially in the first half of the movie). The movie also uncovers some of the deepest Japanese beliefs and customs on the after life of the departed. I was really surprised by the whole notion of a life after death and how the deceased are carefully prepared for a peaceful journey after death in Japanese tradition. Unlike movies that deal with death with a lot of melodrama, this one is a lot more subtle and less cliched.

The movie also explores in part Daigo's own battle with returning to his origins and his despise for his dad who left him and his mother when he was young. In life we always hold a lifetime grudge and cant reconcile with it, and yet we realize that to forgive and let go of the past is the only way to free ourselves. The movie benefits from some of the fine acting by the cast, stunning direction and beautiful depiction of relationships.

Only in Japan, even a death ritual can be a form of art. The more I see and learn about Japanese culture, the more I am inclined to believe how rich and traditional their culture is. We have all lost or remember someone whom we love and miss and this movie is a tribute to those who have left us. A reminder that life is not all about ourselves, but also the beautiful and long lasting relationships we form.