Título: Departures (2008 film)
Seção: Themes
Background: Departures (Japanese: okuribito, Hepburn: Okuribito, "one who sends off") is a 2008 Japanese drama film directed by Yojiro Takita and starring Masahiro Motoki, Ryoko Hirosue, and Tsutomu Yamazaki. Loosely based on Coffinman, a memoir by Shinmon Aoki, the film follows a young man who returns to his hometown after a failed career as a cellist and stumbles across work as a nokanshi--a traditional Japanese ritual mortician. He is subjected to prejudice from those around him, including from his wife, because of strong social taboos against people who deal with death. Eventually he earns their respect and learns the importance of interpersonal connections through the beauty and dignity of his work.

Conteúdo: Several critics discussed the theme of death found in Departures. Scott highlighted the contrast between the taboo of death and the value of jobs related to it. He also noted the role of the encoffiner in showing "one last act of compassion" by presenting the dead in a way which preserved proud memories of their life. Initially, Daigo and his family are unable to overcome the taboos and their squeamishness when faced with death. Daigo is alienated from his wife and friends owing to traditional values. Ultimately it is through his work with the dead that Daigo finds fulfilment, and, as Peter Howell of the Toronto Star concluded, viewers realize that "death may be the termination of a life, but it's not the end of humanity". Okuyama writes that, in the end, the film (and the book on which it was based) serves as a "quiet yet persistent protest" against the discrimination which people who deal with death continue to face in modern Japan: death is a normal part of life, not something repulsive.  Along with this theme of death, Takita believed Departures was about life, about finding a lost sense of feeling human; Daigo gains a greater perspective on life and comes to know the diversity of people's lives only after encountering them in death. This life includes family bonds: Daigo's coming to terms with his father is a major motif, encoffinment scenes focus on the living family members rather than the dead, and even in the NK Agent office, conversation often revolves around family

user: What are the themes of this movie?

assistant: Several critics discussed the theme of death found in Departures.

user: What did they say about the theme of death?

assistant: Scott highlighted the contrast between the taboo of death and the value of jobs related to it.

user: How is the taboo shown in the movie?

assistant: showing "one last act of compassion" by presenting the dead in a way which preserved proud memories of their life.

user: Are there other major themes in the movie?

assistant: Takita believed Departures was about life, about finding a lost sense of feeling human;

user: How is that addressed in the film?

assistant: Daigo gains a greater perspective on life and comes to know the diversity of people's lives only after encountering them in death.

user: Do other characters experience growth?

assistant: Mika's pregnancy is the catalyst for her reconciliation with Daigo.

user: Were there any notable reviews?

assistant: Ebert writes that, as with other Japanese films such as Tokyo Story (Yasujiro Ozu; 1953) and The Funeral (Juzo Itami; 1984),

user: What are the similarities to those movies?

assistant: Departures focuses on the effect of death on the survivors; the afterlife is not given much discussion.