Ikiru Details

It's a Wonderful Film

Imagine "It's a Wonderful Life", but at the point where Jimmy Stewart realises life IS worth living, we cut to his wake, seeing none of his triumph or redemption. At the wake, everyone who crushed him at the start of the film takes credit for solving all his problems.

The wake opens with the self-righteous opinions of his superiors, whose contempt for the individual is shattered by the genuine grief of the mothers Watanabe worked for at the end. As the wake progresses, those closest to him begin to realise just what a difference Watanabe made and pledge to follow his example. At this point I suspect the oft-mooted Hollywood remake would close with a slow zoom to Watanabe's saintly photo.

Kurosawa, however, knows us better than this. As soon as Watanabe's colleagues get the opportunity to follow his example, they abandon the idea, returning to the lingering death of spirit that Watanabe only escaped by becoming terminally ill.

This being Kurosawa, you don't just get a fascinating story, beautifully told and heart-rendingly acted, you also get a visual and aural feast: from the oppression of Watanabe's office, to the drunken whirl of an impossibly packed Tokyo nightclub, to the beauty of Watanabe's passing.

Ikiru tells us so much about our society that sadly has not changed since we first started to surrender our potential as a species to the soulless security of rigid bureaucracy.

Well, no more! I'm going to turn over a new leaf! His death will not be in vain!

[Highly rated reviewer]

Superb

This has got to be one of the best films I have ever seen, even though I am not a fan of Japanese black and white films generally. If you are used to Hollywood films you have to adjust to the meditative pace but it is never boring and empty as so many films are when they try to be arty and end up just being slow. No, every moment of this film should be savored for its beauty, its truth, its perfection. The actor in the main role is out of this world good.