Departures (film)
Encyclopedia
All compositions by Joe Hisaishi
.
subject in Japan, so the director was worried about the film's reception and did not anticipate commercial success.
said he had enjoyed watching the film, which had been recommended to him by Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama
. It currently holds an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film has grossed $70 million worldwide.
Joe Hisaishi
, known professionally as , is a composer and director known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981.While possessing a stylistically distinct sound, Hisaishi's music has been known to explore and incorporate different genres, including minimalist, experimental electronic,...
.
- "Shine of Snow I" 1:12
- "Nohkan" 3:10
- "Kaisan" 0:53
- "Good-Bye Cello" 2:16
- "New Road" 1:15
- "Model" 0:47
- "First Contact" 1:51
- "Washing" 0:34
- "Kizuna I" 1:57
- "Beautiful Dead I" 3:12
- "Okuribito (On Record)" 1:51
- "Gui-Dance" 2:26
- "Shine of Snow II" 2:25
- "Ave Maria (Okuribito)" 5:29
- "Kizuna II" 2:04
- "Beautiful Dead II" 2:36
- "Father" 1:40
- "Okuribito (Memory)" 4:10
- "Okuribito (Ending)" 4:59
Production
Loosely based on Aoki Shinmon's autobiographical book , the film was ten years in the making. Motoki studied the art of 'encoffinment' at first hand from a mortician, and how to play a cello for the earlier parts of the movie. The director attended funeral ceremonies in order to understand the feelings of bereaved families. While death is the subject of great ceremony, as portrayed in this movie, it is also a strongly tabooTaboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
subject in Japan, so the director was worried about the film's reception and did not anticipate commercial success.
Cast
- Masahiro MotokiMasahiro MotokiMasahiro Motoki is a Japanese actor. He portrayed protagonist Daigo Kobayashi in Departures, which won the 81st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film...
as Daigo Kobayashi - Ryōko HirosueRyoko Hirosueis a Japanese actress and pop star, best known in the West for her roles in the Luc Besson-produced Wasabi and the Academy Award-winning Japanese film Departures. She also starred in a comedy series Yasuko to Kenji in 2008.- Early life :...
as Mika Kobayashi - Kazuko YoshiyukiKazuko Yoshiyuki- Early life :Kazuko was born in Tokyo as a first daughter of Eisuke Yoshiyuki, a writer, and Aguri. She has an older brother, Junnosuke Yoshiyuki, a novelist, and a sister, Rie Yoshiyuki, a poet....
as Tsuyako Yamashita, a woman running a sentōSentois a type of Japanese communal bath house where customers pay for entrance. Traditionally these bath houses have been quite utilitarian, with one large room separating the sexes by a tall barrier, and on both sides, usually a minimum of lined up faucets and a single large bath for the already... - Tsutomu Yamazaki as Shōei Sasaki, president of NK Agency
- Kimiko Yo as Yuriko Uemura, an employee of NK Agency
- Takashi SasanoTakashi Sasanois a Japanese actor best known in the West for his role in the Academy Award-winning Japanese film Departures.He is known to master variety of acting styles...
as Shōkichi Hirata, a regular customer of Tsuyako's sentō - Tetta Sugimoto as Yamashita, a son of Tsuyako, Daigo's old classmate
- Toru Minegishi as Toshiki Kobayashi, Daigo's father
- Tarō IshidaTaro Ishida' is a Japanese actor and seiyū from the city of Kyoto.-Career:Ishida is a chief priest at a Buddhist temple in Kanazawa, Ishikawa.Ishida is affiliated with Granpapa Production and his former stage name is '....
as Mr. Sonezaki, the owner of Daigo's orchestra
Response
Departures received positive reviews. Chinese Premier Wen JiabaoWen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao is the sixth and current Premier and Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, serving as China's head of government and leading its cabinet. In his capacity as Premier, Wen is regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy...
said he had enjoyed watching the film, which had been recommended to him by Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama
Yukio Hatoyama
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan between 16 September 2009 and 2 June 2010, and was the first ever Prime Minister from the modern Democratic Party of Japan....
. It currently holds an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film has grossed $70 million worldwide.
Awards
- 81st Academy Awards81st Academy AwardsThe 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2008 and took place February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST...
: Best Foreign Language FilmAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language FilmThe Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences... - 3rd Asian Film AwardsAsian Film AwardsThe Asian Film Awards are presented annually by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society to recognize excellence of film professionals in the film industries of Asian cinema.-History:...
: Best Actor (Masahiro Motoki) - 3rd Asia Pacific Screen AwardsAsia Pacific Screen AwardsThe Asia Pacific Screen Awards is an international cultural initiative of the State Government of Queensland, Australia, through Events Queensland, to honour and promote the films, actors, directors, and cultures of Asia-Pacific to a global audience and to realise the objectives of UNESCO to...
: Best Performance by an Actor (Masahiro Motoki) - 17th Golden Rooster Award :Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (Masahiro Motoki)
- 28th Hawaii International Film FestivalHawaii International Film FestivalThe Hawaii International Film Festival is a film festival held in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It was started in 1981 by Jeannette Paulson Hereniko and has been held annually in the fall for two weeks...
: Audience Choice Award - 32nd Montreal World Film FestivalMontreal World Film FestivalThe Montreal World Film Festival , founded in 1977, is one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF...
: Grand Prix des Amériques - 20th Palm Springs International Film FestivalPalm Springs International Film FestivalPalm Springs International Film Festival is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. It was started in 1989 and is held annually in January...
: Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature - 29th Hong Kong Film AwardsHong Kong Film AwardsThe Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
: Best Asian Film - 51st Blue Ribbon AwardsBlue Ribbon AwardsThe are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan.The awards were established in 1950 by which is composed of film correspondents from seven Tokyo-based sports newspapers...
: Best Actor (Masahiro Motoki) - 33rd Hochi Film Awards: Best Film
- 32nd Japan Academy Prize32nd Japan Academy PrizeThe 32nd Annual Japan Academy Prize ceremony was held by the Japan Academy Prize Association to honor its selection of the best films of 2008 on February 20, 2009. NTV was broadcast the event, which will take place again at Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa in Tokyo, Japan...
Best Film, Best Director (Yojiro Takita), Best writing (Kundo Koyama), Best Actor (Masahiro Motoki), Best Supporting Actor (Tsutomu Yamazaki), Best Supporting Actress (Kimiko Yo), Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Lightings - 82nd Kinema JunpoKinema Junpo, commonly called , is a Japanese film magazine which began publication in July 1919. The magazine was founded by a group of four students, including Saburō Tanaka, at the Tokyo Institute of Technology . In that first month, it was published three times on days with a "1" in them. These first three...
Awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor (Masahiro Motoki) - 63rd Mainichi Film Award: Best Japanese Film, Best Sound Mixing
- 21st Nikkan Sports Film AwardNikkan Sports Film AwardThe are film-specific prizes awarded solely by the Nikkan Sports.- Categories :*Best Picture*Best Director*Best Foreign Picture*Best Actor*Best Actress*Best Supporting Actor*Best Supporting Actress*New Artist Award*Special Award...
: Best Film and Best Director - 2008 Trailer ZEN Festival: Grand Prix
- 30th Yokohama Film FestivalYokohama Film FestivalThe is a noticed yearly awards ceremony held in Japan. The festival was started as a small affair by fans and film critics, and first held on February 3, 1980. Ten films are chosen as the best of the year, and various awards are given to personnel...
: Best Film, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress (Kimiko Yo, Ryōko Hirosue) - 2010 Vits Awards: 2nd Place in "Top 3 Movies", "Best Adapted Script", "Jury's Movie", and "Best Short Performance" (Tastuo Yamada).
External links
おくりびと Japan site for the play based on the film- Departures-the movie US site