The Funeral (1985)
Directed by Juzo Itami
Genres - Comedy, Drama |
Sub-Genres - Domestic Comedy, Satire, Black Comedy, Family Drama |
Release Date - Oct 23, 1987 (USA) |
Run Time - 124 min. |
Countries - Japan |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Robert Firsching
The directorial debut of Juzo Itami, this irreverent black comedy satirizes death and burial customs in a surprising manner for a Japanese film. Trendy film actress Chizuko (Nobuko Miyamoto) and her actor husband Wabisuke (Tsutomu Yamazaki) must rush from a movie set to mourn Chizuko's honored elderly father. The three-day wake is dramatized with rich comic detail and a funny supporting cast including Shuji Otaki, Kin Sugai, and Chishu Ryu as a greedy priest. Although Itami had yet to perfect the deft comic touch which made Tampopo (1986) such a treat, this darkly funny satire is still wonderfully entertaining and surprisingly touching.
Characteristics
Themes
Keywords
actor, daughter, death, funeral, husband, Japan, Japanese [nationality], tradition, wake [funeral]
Attributes
High Artistic Quality, High Historical Importance
