Departures by Yôjirô Takita

      I have to say this film makes me feel uneasy to watch yet satisfying in terms of emotions and sentimental values it portrayed. The director is intelligent to have put this film in a comical nature whereby they try to make instill values surrounding death to the general audience. He had put this film together beautifully as emotions technically surrounded the whole film.
      The film started off with the protagonist losing his job as a cellist because the orchestra got disbanded which showed sign of struggle with despairs in life. This soon followed his diligent effort in looking for jobs around his hometown sakata when he moved back. It brought back many memories of him from his childhood and the leaving of his father with the waitress. This showed a combination of hate and detest between father and soon. Soon follows the regrets of a son not taking care of his mother more before she passed away.
      Initially, he did not take fancy to the job he received because of the nature of the work and the inability to stand the reek of rotting bodies. This journey of his made me feel uneasy because of the nature of his work as well. I feel disgusted at it initially as the wife did and would not be able to tolerate him more and soon moved out the house. I actually understood the wife’s feeling and emotions because i also cannot tolerate the nature of his job if i were in her position. However, as the plot develops, I soon found the dignity in the job when he prepares his friend’s mother for burial which was quite unnerving yet graceful and pure. I truly don’t know the correct words to describe how the ritual affecting the way I viewed death.
      However, the most touching moment of the show was the climax where he was force to attend his own father’s funeral which he detest and doesn’t want to go initially. I understand his feelings then. Then, the most shocking part for me is when he found the stone in his father’s arm while preparing for a proper burial which was touching and loving at the same time. At the moment, I thought that family matters most and nothing even the shattering blow of death could keep families apart due to the memories we each keep inside ourselves. I truly understand the value of relationship and love through this movie.