14 November 2012

Ikiru (Japan, 1952)

Kanji Watanabe is a middle-aged man who has worked in the same monotonous bureaucratic position for thirty years. His wife is dead and his son and daughter-in-law, who live with him, seem to care mainly about Watanabe's pension and their future inheritance. After learning he has stomach cancer and less than a year to live, Watanabe attempts to come to terms with his impending death.

Ikiru (lit. trans. To Live) takes you through the whole process of a man's last days in life, the fear, the acceptance and the repenting. In the lead role we have one of Akira Kuosawa's favorite actors; Takashi Shimura (Stray Dog, Rashomon) who does a great job of portraying a broken man on the verge of death. It's a study of both loneliness and hope, and doing what's right in your heart. I think the best effect this film can have is that the we the viewers start to value what's important in life, and not waste the short time we've been given.

Genre: Drama

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