Leaving behind the party life to save others
“The Departure,” a beautiful meditation on the value of life, centers on an unforgettable character: an ex- Japanese punk rocker who has become a Buddhist monk and devotes most of his time on Earth to helping suicidal people.
If it sounds relentlessly depressing, it’s not. This is a film that manages to be simple yet thought- provoking, sad yet comforting, and anguished yet tranquil. In short, a work of art.
Ittetsu Nemoto, who lives in a Japanese temple with his wife and toddler son, is constantly getting calls from folks who want to end their lives. They come to him not because he’s some high priest who anoints them with wisdom, but because he has demons of his own and can relate to them. Indeed, his haunting backstory — and his continued struggles — add considerable texture to the film.
One of Nemoto’s specialties is holding “departure” ceremonies in which he gives depressed people small slices of paper, wherein they jot down their favorite things about life. Then, by setting aside those pieces of paper, they must metaphorically trash those cherished things — just as they would be doing for real in death.
Nemoto, a former club kid, also likes to visit a pulsating nightclub, and it’s breathtaking to see this punk rocker turnedmonk take in the lights on the dancing floor.
Like her subject, the more that director Lana Wilson keeps things simple, the more she makes things profound. “The Departure” is an excellent example of a filmmaker finding a perfect wavelength with her main character.
By the way, this is a documentary. But after the first few seconds, you won’t even notice.