"Departures" is a surprisingly beautiful, heart-warming movie. When I first watched the trailer, I had a kind of impression that this movie was a bit too depressing to enjoy. But, I was completely wrong about that. Although it deals with inevitable death of human beings, it tells us life and death are interconnected and inseparable, thus death is just part of our life and nothing to be afraid of.
The main characters played by Motoki and Yamazaki made this movie so unforgettable. The two men appear different in many ways, yet they have one thing in common: professionalism. They have a strong pride in their occupation no matter how people look at them. They have a passion for their job. All these naturally come from deep inside them. It is very touching to see how they show their respect to a deceased and his/her family during the ceremony.
This is definitely one of the greatest and must see Japanese movies.
