Review of Ikiru (1952) by Peter M — 04 Mar 2008

Let me tell you a story.

One day a boy and his brother rented, on a whim, a little movie no one else had heard of called Ikiru. The brothers, fledging little cinema minors, were becoming interested in Kurosawa's work, so after dinner they sat down and watched it in one sitting.

The boy liked it, but his 14 year old brain was getting bored by the conclusion of the second act. Then along came the ending. And suddenly, so suddenly, the entire film wrapped up it's message in the image of an old, feeble man singing an outdated love song on a swing. The movie had placed the life of this man on a platter and invited him to see it, and suddenly the boy wasn't so bored anymore. Kurosawa's message rang out in his head like church bells on Christmas.

The boy began to cry.

The End.