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For many filmmakers the name Akira Kurosawa is synonymous with excellence. This praise comes as no surprise as Kurosawa proved time and time again that he was a master craftsman behind the lens. It never mattered what the subject matter of his films were, whether it was influenced by Shakespeare’s works (i.e. Ran, Throne of Blood and The Bad Sleep Well) or Dostoevsky’s (The Idiot), Kurosawa always found a way to make his films in such a way that they wouldn’t alienate the audience. To make his films more accessible to the audience, many of Kurosawa’s films dealt with a subject matter that the audience could relate to. One film which is a perfect example of this was his 1952 film, Ikiru (To Live).

Ikiru is about a man named Kanji Watanabe (Takashi Shimura), a man who has been doing the same monotonous job for over thirty years. One day, Watanabe learns that he has stomach cancer and doesn’t have much longer to live… between six months to a year. As a result, Watanabe takes out a large sum of money from the bank and attempts to escape his sorrows by immersing himself in the pleasures of Tokyo’s nightlife (i.e. gambling, drinking, dancing and hooking up with young ladies). Things don’t go well as Watanabe ends up saddening those around him.

The next day, Watanabe runs into a cheerful young woman that used to work in the same place he did. After learning that she has quit that job and is happier for doing so, Watanabe reevaluates his situation and decides to start pampering her in hopes that her happiness will somehow make him feel better. At first, everything appears to be going well but after a while, the woman starts to get freaked out by Watanabe always wanted to be around her and pampering her. During their final dinner, Watanabe tells her that he is dying and that for one day he would love to live in a carefree, youthful way like she does. Saddened by the news, she tells him that her happiness comes from her new job… a job where she makes little rabbit toys for kids… and that by making these toys makes her feel like she gets to play with children every day. After mulling over her words, Watanabe decides that with his remaining days, he is going to do something that will bring happiness to many for years to come… he was going to be the man responsible for turning a cesspool into a children’s playground.

As a whole, Ikiru is a sad but wonderful film that is nearly perfect. Kurosawa’s direction is superb and every scene has a meaning to it. The acting is top notch. Takashi Shimura’s heartfelt performance alone is powerful enough to carry this entire film on its own. There is only one thing that hurts the film and that’s the fact that towards the middle, the film starts to drag a bit.

Even though the film does drag in the middle, Akira Kurosawa’s Ikiru still ends up being a masterpiece. With Kurosawa’s amazing direction and the film’s top notch acting, you can easily forget the film’s lone flaw and still be pleased with the outcome of the final product.

Final Synopsis: It’s a depressing film that has meaning behind it. With top notch acting and Kurosawa’s direction, the film is a true masterpiece.

Points Lost: -1 for dragging a bit in the middle.

Lesson Learned: If you’re an old guy and you change your hat, people will think you are banging at young chick.

Burning Question: What would you do with your remaining days?

Ikiru (1952)
9/10

Tags: 1952, Akira Kurosawa, Bokuzen Hidari, drama, Haruo Tanaka, Ikiru movie review, Ikiru review, Kamatari Fujiwara, latest movie reviews, Minoru Chiaki, Shinichi Himori, Takashi Shimura