Review of Ikiru (1952) by Frank T — 06 Jul 2010

An effective humanist drama that does not overexert its message, as it effectively handles how one should live their life, but certainly suffers from Akira Kurosawaâ??s tendency to overindulge in his use of story and structure. The first and second thirds of the film have no trouble in establishing who protagonist Watanabe â?? played wonderfully by Takashi Shimura â?? has been and who he eventually wants to become. There is no remarkable or unbelievable element to his abrupt change; it is obvious that he is a compassionate man who lost his way in a life of disappointment and idleness only to realize his mortality through terminal cancer. The real emotion in these early scenes comes from his inability to connect with his son, the only person he has left to love in the world. As a result of this disconnect and his cancer, Watanabe goes on a couple of expeditions with kind strangers to partake in entertainments he has yet to experience. Alcohol and dancers with a male accomplice fill the first adventure, while innocent tenderness and affection with a female coworker satisfy in the second.

This entertaining half of the story makes sure the film runs smoothly, but still has intense moments of realization for Watanabeâ??s impending death witnessed by the man himself. Then the film takes a dramatic turn in having its protagonistâ??s death loom for the final third where colleagues and friends fill the void for what has happened in the last five months. Several debates and back-and-forths remain indicative, but altogether superfluous in their duration. These final scenes alone drag the lengthy film on an extra half hour more than it needs. The only reprieve this diversion can account for is the well-known and magical swing set scene where Watanabe finds peace and acceptance in his situation; his life is complete through the construction of the playground he initiated. â??Ikiruâ?? is a beautiful film in every aspect within the limits of cinema from its cinematography to the universal message it portrays. If the point of those last scenes, in their length, were just a little more apparent and palpable it would be another masterpiece from the celebrated Japanese master.