A lot of film lovers' heads snapped in surprise when "Departures" won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film this past spring. "Waltz with Bashir" from Israel and "The Class" from France were considered very strong contenders, both with very serious subject matters. So when the little Japanese film about a cellist who becomes an undertaker prevailed, it was viewed as another example of the Academy Awards favoring the heart-warming over the challenging.
Departures
Departures
Departures
A lot of film lovers' heads snapped in surprise when "Departures" won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film this past spring. "Waltz with Bashir" from Israel and "The Class" from France were considered very strong contenders, both with very serious subject matters. So when the little Japanese film about a cellist who becomes an undertaker prevailed, it was viewed as another example of the Academy Awards favoring the heart-warming over the challenging.