Review of Ikiru (1952) by Darren K — 18 Dec 2007
Kanji Watanabe is old bureaucrat who has spent the last 30 years of his life slaving over a desk, achieving next to nothing. Suddenly he is struck with life threatening stomach cancer, and finds out he has six months to live.
"Ikiru" follows his last six months as he tries to make something of himself before he's cast away. Takashi Shimura plays Kanji Watanbe with great intensity. His face is haunting and mesmerizing, completely unforgettable.
We see his character morph radically through the first half of the film, from a quiet old bureaucrat to confident proud man. The second half of Ikiru takes a turn and lets us see Watanabe from fellow coworkers point of view, they first see a foolish old man, but as they talk about his story they realize they are the ones who are foolish.
Watanbe achieved more in six months, than most achieve in their lives. "Ikiru" is a haunting film that makes us question what we do each day. Life's short, so don't waste it. My favorite Akira Kurosawa film.
Period.
This review of Ikiru (1952) was written by Darren K on 18 Dec 2007.
Ikiru has generally received very positive reviews.
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