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Ikiru (1952)
One of the Great Films of Our Time!
Director: Akira Kurosawa, Not Rated (Dad's guess
G)
  Starring:
Takashi Shimura, Shinichi Himori, Haruo Tanaka, Minoru Chiaki, Bokuzen Hhidari,
Miki Odagiri, Kamatari Fujiwara, Nobuo Nakamura
DML Rating:
★★★★★★★★★☆
- near perfect
"How beautiful! Truly
beautiful. A sunset. I don't think I've really looked at one in
30 years." –
Kanji Watanabe
Why watch this? It's
a
story of a man's life lived, but not necessarily enjoyed.
Then he learns of his incurable cancer...
Plot Summary:
An aging, bureaucratic civil servant discovers he has terminal
stomach cancer and faces a reckoning with his largely
unfulfilled life. This realization prompts him to seek meaning
and purpose in his final months. Despite initial missteps and a
struggle with his family and the rigid bureaucracy, he
ultimately dedicates himself to a single, impactful project that
will live on forever.
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Dad's Preview:
Legendary film director Akira Kurosawa is best known for epic films
featuring lengthy battles and action-filled samurai duels. This
film is a stark departure. It follows a common, nearly invisible, man,
Takashi, who
has dutifully worked for 30 years. His wife is dead; his son
(and eager daughter-in-law) only
wants his inheritance. When he learns of his cancer, it shocks
him into action. This film moves slowly, but it will grab you if you give
it a chance. Then you will experience its richness, and
eventually, its painful lesson that death
is approaching us all, and only a lucky few can choose the best way to prepare for
it.
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Sōjirō Motoki; Toho
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