Writer: Nur Safina Othman

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Watch this if you liked: "Tokyo Tower"

"Departures" discusses life and death, an aspect of being that reaches deep within our hearts and felt by all mankind. Throughout this Oscar-winning film, the audience is offered at least one take on the meaning of life, the preparation needed when faced with death, and the family ties that bind us all.

There is a particular job in Japan (and of course, everywhere else in the civilised world) which involves cleaning the dead and prettying up corpses prior to cremation. This profession is considered an undesirable job to the public. However, a cellist named Daigo Kobayashi accepts the position after his orchestra group disbands.

The story is fairly simple and easy to understand. It is also fascinating to watch because of the rich details the director lays out. For example, the ceremony of dressing the dead before he or she is cremated. We can see how a person was given the task to beautify the dead - from the aspects of cleaning, changing clothes and also applying make-up. The ritual is carefully executed without exposing the body parts of the deceased to the family, so that it does not 'embarrass' the departed. Adequately, we get to observe Japanese tradition that is seldom shown in mainstream cinema. The director also did not forget to include a little bit of comedy to make it more appealing.

Acting wise, Masahiro Motoki as Daigo played his character effectively as a cellist and also as a mortician. We see how Daigo manages to learn the meaning of life after accepting his trade and how he guards his work that is considered a subject of abjection and filthiness by his wife and the community. It is also particularly moving to watch how Daigo holds back his tears when he cleans the corpse of someone he despises but wishes he could have spent more time with.

This film shows us that death can be a celebration with joy just as much as a proclamation of sorrow. It is an experience not only felt by the family of the deceased but also everyone else witnessing it. Even though the duration of this movie stretches over two hours, you would not fall into boredom because every scene has a message of its own. "Departures" is experience that we seldom acknowledge to need, let alone enjoy.

Cinema Online, 15 June 2009