Interview 102908

A box-office and a commemorative event of Japanese film “Departures” was held on October 29th at Marunouchi Piccadilly 2 in Yurakucho, Tokyo. The theatre was crammed with excited movie fans, and the whole audience burst into cheers at the appearance of the actor Masahiro Motoki and the director Yojiro Takita on the stage.

Released in September 13th, 2008, the attendance of “Departures” in domestic market now exceeds 2.15 million, and its box-office revenues hit \2.5 billion. It has also been screened by some international film festivals, and won awards including Grand Prix Des Ameriques at the 32nd Montreal World Film Festival, Best Picture / Best Director / Best Actor at Golden Rooster Award etc. In fact, this film is a Japanese contender for the 81st Academy Award (February 22nd, 2009) nomination for the Best Foreign Language Film, so we may be able to see Motoki and Takita on the stage of Kodak Theatre in near future. For the 2008 Foreign Language Oscar, there are 67 films on the official submission list. Let’s see what will happen.

‘The ceremonial scenes of “Encoffination”, a custom unique to Japanese, are well packaged, and the universality of its theme, that is “life and death”, would be appealing for international audience’, Masahiro Motoki, who played the lead Daigo, commented on these success in overseas receptions. As for the theme, director Yojiro Takita explains further; ‘This movie offers the story of a man who finds what is the most important for him by facing people’s death’.

In addition to Daigo who is an encoffineer, a son, a husband and a father of unborn baby, many other roles actually appears in the funeral scenes so that audience can easily identify with the characters of this film. Obviously, it should be one of the reasons why this film has been widely accepted by audience, as the experience of Motoki suggests; ‘In hotel lobbies, airports and so on, people of all ages and both sexes have often spoken to me and made remarks about this film. I had this kind of experience when I starred in so-called Taiga drama, but this time is absolutely more than that’.

Now let’s focus on the casts in “Departures”. Daigo’s wife was played by Ryoko Hirosue who is now 28 years old. It would be surprising if you know how old Motoki is (actually 42), since their acting as a husband and a wife in this movie is fairly natural. Although both Hirosue and Motoki had been a major young star, or “aidoru” in Japanese, when they were teenagers, now it is easy to see that they have been transformed into a fine actor / actress. Of course, we cannot ignore Tsutomu Yamazaki and Kimiko Yo, who played the boss and co-worker of Daigo respectively. Even though this movie deals with the heavy subject of “life and death,” their elastic but delicate performances beautifully control the atmosphere of each sequence bringing both laugher and tears to audience.

The event was wrapped up with the messages for audience, and here I quote Motoki’s words concerning a Japanese veteran actor who was casted in “Departures” and then died on October 11th, 2008.

‘When Mr. Toru Minegishi, who played father of Daigo in this film, passed away, and so did Jun Ichikawa and Ken Ogata whom I worked with before, I just needed to accept the fact that human being shall physically vanishes so suddenly, though it is only natural. Starring in this movie, I, however, have come to understand that I can exist with something they left for me, and I also have to hand it down to the next generation’.