Review of Ikiru (1952) by Thomas D — 29 Mar 2017

Sometimes films released more than 50 years ago don't have the same impact they once did. Well, that's not the case at all for Ikiru, one of Akira Kurosawa's first universally praised hits.

Ikiru tells the story of a man out of time. A bureaucratic man who has worked the same job for decades and can't seem to find any purpose in his work or life in general. That is, until he finds out he has terminal stomach cancer. What follows is a coming of age story for a middle aged man who does his best to leave an impact on the world he will inevitably leave. With one of these types of stories, it all comes down to execution. The only way to make a film like this leave you with a particularly effective message is to have a filmmaker like Kurosawa. For the most part, I did go through the emotions the film wanted me to. It's also a story that lends itself to being more relatable the older you get. It's not easy for a 23-year-old guy like me to understand what Watanabe goes through in Ikiru, but it may be something that I relate to more as I get older.

I found this film to be especially inspiring from his co-workers perspective. No one at the office does anything of value it seems, and it's only until after Watanabe takes a leave of absence and goes on a journey of self-discovery that they feel like they need to do something as well. The film shifts from Watanabe's story to his friends & families' story about half way through. I found each part to be interesting in its own right, but watching the people he cares about look back on his life and the impact he seemed to have made was some powerful stuff. The lessons and themes in the film are important ones. Pleasure is not living. Don't always do things for others or to please others, make sure you're taken care of as well. And most importantly, life is brief, make of it as you wish.

+Poignant.

+Kurosawa's direction (duh).

-Two separate parts feel jarring at first.

8.4/10.