Departures

My Godmother, aka "Apple Suzie" recommended I watch a Japanese movie called Departures.  It came in the mail today via Netflix.   I have to say it was the absolute best movie movie I have seen in forever.  Beautiful music, excellent acting, and my favorite subject matter - death.  I keep trying to tell people that there is so much beauty in death and now there is a movie to prove it.  So, go out and rent this movie, you will be deeply moved.

There were two things that struck me to my core in watching this film.  First was an old man who had been working at a crematory all his life.  He told a man who was there saying goodbye to his mother who was about to be cremated that he liked to think of his job as a "gatekeeper".  He felt like he was escorting the dead by opening up the gate from this life into the next.  I thought that was incredible.

Whether you work in death and dying or not, as we get older the number of people we have seen go through the dying processes grows.  For most people I would say the experience is something they didn't look forward to nor would they want to go back and do it again.  But I love the idea of the "gatekeeper" and it struck a chord with me because hospice staff are absolutely helping families escort their loved ones through the gate from this life into the next.  Our hope is to provide a dignified and graceful entrance through that gate.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all see it that way?

The second thing I loved the most about this movie was identifying with the main character.  He was a cellist and his orchestra was dissolved.  He didn't feel like he was a very good player and he and his wife moved back to his home town where he "by fate" found a job posted in the newspaper that, unbeknownst to him, turned out to be a position as one who prepares dead bodies for placement in a casket.  These professionals go to where the person has died and provide post mortem care, however, it is done in this incredible ceremonious way and includes bathing and makeup and dressing.  He has no idea and is shocked when he hears about what he is applying for but the owner convinces him it's his fate.  Turns out that he falls in love with the profession and is really good at it.  When his estranged father dies, he is summoned by the authorities to his death and performs the ceremony for his father.  It's this amazing moment of grief and bereavement, words cannot express how moving.

I identify with this not only from my background as a musician, but also because I never would have expected that death and dying would be my thing.  I believe that God moved me toward it so that I could be there for my family when my Mom-mom died particularly but then also for the loss and illnesses of our other family and loved ones.

It's incredibly late and I'm sleepy but I just had to share about this film.  Please, please, please go out and rent it.  You will be moved, you will be entertained, and you will be convinced of the beauty in death.