Pastors, prayers, dead people, tombstones, day after day, send away lonely souls. This is John May’s job, to find relatives for the dead who died alone, and most of the time He was the only one at the funeral.
He arranged the most primitive burials for the deceased, with good coffins and carefully selected graveyards, and ran around looking for their relatives and friends. People advised him not to worry so much, because funerals were held for living people. Yes, the dead person doesn't care, he just stays silent and continues on his journey.
During the economic downturn, the company laid off employees, and John May was one of them. The leader admitted that he worked carefully and patiently, but blamed him for the slow progress of his work and the excessive use of funds. He did not refute, only said: "I Wanting to complete the work of the last deceased person"
So he went to find the relatives of the last deceased-Billy Stoker, from his ex-girlfriend, to his old friends in the army. To his daughter, he conveyed the sad news, comforted their shock and sorrow, and hoped that they would attend the funeral. However, without exception, there was still no answer.
He was disappointed, but helpless. He loved the profession that had accompanied him for 22 years, but when parting, he had no other choice. As expected, the funeral of the last deceased was still only He alone.
People advised him to change his job to a living person and regard it as a new beginning. His clothes, his room, his life, everything was so orderly, even unchanged, he considered After a change, it was no longer black tea but hot cocoa, drinking whiskey with the homeless on the roadside, eating yogurt that fell out of other people's cars, biting the belt with my teeth, maybe it was time to move on.
However, at this time, Billy's daughter called and she changed her mind and decided to attend her father's funeral. They agreed to meet to discuss the specific matters of the funeral. John May was enthusiastic and proactive, and the conversation was eloquent. It was the first time I saw his heartfelt smile in the film. His eyes were very bright, like shining lights, and he was extremely sincere and lovely.
After parting ways, he went shopping at a convenience store and accidentally saw a pair of cute cups. He wanted to give them to Billy's daughter. The two young people secretly fell in love with each other as they met again and again.
Life is always full of surprises, catching people off guard. He used to look around when crossing the road, but not this time. A truck came speeding by, and he fell into a pool of blood. Those eyes He lost his light. I don’t know what he was thinking at the last moment. Do you feel regretful?
Billy's funeral came soon. Many of his relatives and friends came, but John May did not show up.
This time, there was only one pastor in the church, no prayers, and two people buried him in the cemetery. There was not even a tombstone. The loneliness was terrifying.
In the last scene of the film, countless souls walked out of the tombstones and stood around John May's tomb, as if in silence and as a tribute. He had accompanied these deceased people to die. This time, the protagonist is he.
Many people die every day in the world, either with someone or alone, but as long as you have left traces in the world, someone will remember it, just like "Death is not the end of life, forgetting is ."
John May was never alone, and he deserves to be thanked and remembered.
Note: It can be said to be an unpopular film, quiet and plain, but it is endlessly memorable.