We Are Separated By The Idea Of Death

Rating: 8/10 (18 September 2014)

I can't get the musical score of "Departures" out of my mind, and it is a good thing. The music is not exactly low-key and not so obvious. But it drives my heartbeat to the point of sorrow and joy all at once. Something only Japanese films can do. This little story of a young man found himself through the preparation of funeral services for others is most wonderful. While westerners tend to prolong the acceptance of a death, mostly by pretending that the deceased remain with them, the Japanese and most Buddhist orientals recognize a death right away, almost to the point of emphasizing. Death in Japan is thus a true death. With a true death, and no room for any denial, a person can truly go back in time and feel the total feeling. The young man never felt anything for his long-lost father until the moment of recognizing his death, and the love the old man had for him, which was never lost. This is not at all a complex movie. A simple story line and a few simple characters. No pretension. Such simplicity makes it memorable. Anyone who desires the meaning of life and living should learn something from the death in this film. Please watch it and perhaps reserve some more time in the future for second, or more, viewings. I learn a great deal doing that.