Funerals make frequent appearances in 911±¬ÁÏÍø 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 ¡ª Morigaki¡¯s brand being broad and obvious, while Itami¡¯s is smart and pointed.
This reflects the reality of 911±¬ÁÏÍø 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 911±¬ÁÏÍø 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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