Review of Ikiru (1952) by Edwin C — 28 Dec 2007

I thought I was going to be bored. I mean black and white, slow paced, 1952 movie. I dont watch that many old movies, but this one - I was not bored at all. it was strange; thirty minutes in, I was thinking whether I should watch something else, but I dropped that thought.

I couldnt get my eyes off the screen. I couldnt get my eyes off watanabe - every scene he's in, every time he talks, you can feel his pain, his weight, his heaviness at the realization he has come to.

you can also see this in his eyes. I have never once watched an actors eyes so intensely as in this movie. a terrific movie that has a message that is so simple, yet I believe, is strangely so easy to forget and follow: dont take life for granted.