Departures (2008)

A newly unemployed cellist takes a job preparing the dead for funerals.

Director:

Yôjirô Takita

Writer:

Kundô Koyama (screenplay)

Stars:

Masahiro Motoki, Ryôko Hirosue, Tsutomu Yamazaki

Won 1 Oscar. Another 36 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Masahiro Motoki	...	Daigo Kobayashi
Tsutomu Yamazaki	...	Ikuei Sasaki
Ryôko Hirosue	...	Mika Kobayashi
Kazuko Yoshiyuki	...	Tsuyako Yamashita
Kimiko Yo	...	Yuriko Uemura
Takashi Sasano	...	Shokichi Hirata
Tetta Sugimoto	...	Yamashita
Tôru Minegishi	...	Yoshiki Kobayashi
Tatsuo Yamada	...	Togashi
Yukari Tachibana
Tarô Ishida	...	Sonezaki
Sanae Miyata	...	Naomi Togashi
Ryôsuke Ôtani	...	Tomeo's father
Mitsuyo Hoshino	...	Kazuko Kobayashi
Tatsuhito Okuda

Storyline

Daigo Kobayashi is a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and now finds himself without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work and start over. He answers a classified ad entitled "Departures" thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency only to discover that the job is actually for a "Nokanshi" or "encoffineer," a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. While his wife and others despise the job, Daigo takes a certain pride in his work and begins to perfect the art of "Nokanshi," acting as a gentle gatekeeper between life and death, between the departed and the family of the departed. The film follows his profound and sometimes comical journey with death as he uncovers the wonder, joy and meaning of life and living.

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Plot Keywords:

miniskirt | mini skirt | short skirt | cellist | funeral | 

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Taglines:

The gift of last memories

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan] Official site [United States]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

19 June 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Departures

Filming Locations:

Sakata, Yamagata, Japan

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$2,194,799 (Japan), 14 September 2008, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$74,945, 29 May 2009, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,542,989, 20 June 2010

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amuse Soft Entertainment, Asahi Shimbun, Dentsu

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Yôjirô Takita attended funeral ceremonies to understand the feelings of bereaved families, while Tsutomu Yamazaki never participated in the encoffinment training.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Daigo Kobayashi: [voice over narration] When I was a child winter didn't feel so cold. It's nearly two months since I moved home from Tokyo. It's been an awkward time.

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Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy!: Episode #26.35 (2009)

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Soundtracks

Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 - 'Choral': IV. Presto, Allegro assai
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven

User Reviews

One of my all-time favorite movies

It had been years ago since a movie moved me so much that it had brought tears to my eyes, but I couldn't keep my eyes dry while experiencing Okuribito. The story, acting, music and photography are all very impressive.

I guess everyone can in some way relate to the emotions that are conveyed in Okuribito. In my humble opinion this movie is a classic in the likes of Akira Kurosawa's and Yasujiro Ozu's best work: subtle, elegant, serene, soulful, touching and timelessly beautiful. This kind of cinematic storytelling stands high above the usual formula-driven, soulless, commercial Hollywood crap.