Funerals make frequent appearances in Japanese films, though usually they are sidebars to the main story. The few that center on them, such as Yukihiro Morigaki’s “Goodbye, Grandpa!” (2017) and Juzo Itami’s far better “The Funeral” (1984), usually add comedy to the mix — Morigaki’s brand being broad and obvious, while Itami’s is smart and pointed.
This reflects the reality of Japanese funerals, in which the solemnity of the Buddhist chanting is offset by the alcohol-fueled raucousness of the wake. (This is from my personal experience; yours may be different.)
The latest Japanese film focused on last rites is Noriko Yuasa’s ambitious yet patchy “Performing Kaoru's Funeral,” which falls somewhere between Morigaki and Itami’s offerings on the quality scale.
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