When Wabisuke’s father-in-law unexpectedly dies, the family goes through a series of random events and occurrences as the funeral unfolds over three days in their home.
The Funeral is director Juzo Itami's first feature film, who would go on to make great films such as Tampopo (1985) and Minbo (1992). The Funeral has widely been labeled as a comedy, but it's so much more than that, with Itami's satirical look on the whole process of a Japanese funeral and it all takes on a more profound, deeper meaning. Very few things are played out merely just for laughs, though there's a car chase scene involving a very dramatic sandwich switch. I'll say no more.
Itami had lost his father-in-law one year before making the film, so I'm guessing he drew a lot of inspiration from that, while also lending a great deal of authenticity to the funeral customs which to western eyes might seem odd and unorthodox.
Genre: Comedy/Drama. 2h 4min.
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