There are good, very good, and even great movies. But among them there are just a few that go beyond great. They belong to the league of their own. Akira Kurosawa's "Ikiru" (To Live), 1952, is one of them. The film of rare humanity, profoundly moving and often funny "Ikiru" tells the story of a dying man's last crusade that turned out to be his triumph, the best thing he had ever done in his life; something he will be remembered for. The film reveals both absurdity of life and the ability of man to find meaning in it through selfless action.
Two years before he played the tough lead in "Seven Samurai", Takashi Shimara gave even finer performance in a very different role as a government bureaucrat Kanji Watanabe who seemed to lead a life of quiet desperation at his job and at home. Then, he learns that he has terminal cancer and faced with the fact of death, he first tries to take from life as much as possible and spends the half of his savings on gambling, drinking and women. It leads him nowhere and gradually he determines to achieve one good thing before he dies, and settles on converting a junkyard into a playground for children. Rather than make a feel good movie with co-workers helping Kanji Watanabe in his quest and his family around him at his last moment, Kurosawa portrays him as a lonely crusader. No one can understand why this park is so important to him. The answer is very simple, he does not have time and he wants to live to see the park open. His family and co-workers don't even know how ill he is, and that makes some scenes even more powerful and poignant. His words, "I am not angry with anyone, I have no time for that", the look at his face when asked by a mafia member if he did not care for his life - these scenes are heartbreaking. The film has many quiet but compelling moments like these.
For me, watching "Ikiru" was as close to earth shattering experience as it goes. I think it is one of very few films that could really change one's life. I could not help comparing it to "Cries and Whispers" - how devastated I was by the theme of inevitable death, how ugly it is, and how helpless we all are while facing it. "Ikiru" is about a dying man, too, but how hopeful and life affirming it is. The film did not tell or teach me something I had not known before but it confirmed once more that it is never too late to do something even if you have only few months to live.
Two years before he played the tough lead in "Seven Samurai", Takashi Shimara gave even finer performance in a very different role as a government bureaucrat Kanji Watanabe who seemed to lead a life of quiet desperation at his job and at home. Then, he learns that he has terminal cancer and faced with the fact of death, he first tries to take from life as much as possible and spends the half of his savings on gambling, drinking and women. It leads him nowhere and gradually he determines to achieve one good thing before he dies, and settles on converting a junkyard into a playground for children. Rather than make a feel good movie with co-workers helping Kanji Watanabe in his quest and his family around him at his last moment, Kurosawa portrays him as a lonely crusader. No one can understand why this park is so important to him. The answer is very simple, he does not have time and he wants to live to see the park open. His family and co-workers don't even know how ill he is, and that makes some scenes even more powerful and poignant. His words, "I am not angry with anyone, I have no time for that", the look at his face when asked by a mafia member if he did not care for his life - these scenes are heartbreaking. The film has many quiet but compelling moments like these.
For me, watching "Ikiru" was as close to earth shattering experience as it goes. I think it is one of very few films that could really change one's life. I could not help comparing it to "Cries and Whispers" - how devastated I was by the theme of inevitable death, how ugly it is, and how helpless we all are while facing it. "Ikiru" is about a dying man, too, but how hopeful and life affirming it is. The film did not tell or teach me something I had not known before but it confirmed once more that it is never too late to do something even if you have only few months to live.