Departures – A Film Review

Departures is a beautiful, provocative, evocative, charming, sumptuous, life-affirming film about death and our ever-challenging relationship with it.

Set in Japan, the story revolves around a young man who’s forced to give up on his dream profession and move back home in pursuit of something that will pay the bills. To compound his disappointment the only employer willing to cut him a break is the local mortuary – not something he’s utterly thrilled about!

But needs must and after much wrestling with his own conscience (and his partner) he starts to warm to the role in a way that surprises and enlightens him, and takes him on a captivating journey of self-discovery, exploring the full range of emotions that death forces one to confront.

As we quickly come to realise, ‘encoffinment’ in Japan is a job undertaken in full sight of the grieving family and is, in many respects, a seemingly more humane process than the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ process of undertaking in the UK.

That said, the compassion and consideration brought to the job by Daigo and his mentor, Mr. Sasaki, take this important process to another level, turning it into an enthralling, poetic art form that helps to bring a much deeper sense of closure for all concerned.

So much so, that when Daigo is faced with a death much closer to home he’s presented with a unique opportunity to face his own difficult emotions head on and say goodbye in the most beautiful, enchanting way possible that brings tears to your eyes and joy to your heart.

And that’s exactly the kind of thing that makes this film such a captivating watch. It tackles the subject of death from all angles. It makes you laugh. It makes you cry. It shocks you. It warms you. It grips you. It entertains you. It questions you.

Ryan