Departures (Japan, 2009)
Back when the 2009 Oscars were ramping up, it seemed that "Waltz with Bashir" would be getting the Oscar for best Foreign Language Film. Instead, it went to "Departures", which surprised me a little. Having seen "Waltz with Bashir", I wanted to wait until "Departures" was available on DVD before saying anything about it.
Anyone familiar with Japanese culture knows that death can be something of a taboo subject. That this film is able to present it in both a dramatic and humorous way helps me understand why it got the Oscar. While it is a bit long at over 2 hours, the pacing and how things are handled in the film makes it an enjoyable view. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to take a look into how Japan handles death.
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