Ikiru

Released in 1952, Ikiru is a Japanese feature film directed and co-written by Akira Kurosawa.

Fast Facts

1. Director: Akira Kurosawa
2. Writers: Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
3. Released: October 9, 1952 (Japan)
4. Running time: 143 minutes
5. Starring: Takashi Shimura
6. Language: Japanese

Plot Synopsis

Ikiru, which translates as "to live" in English, features longtime Kurosawa actor Takashi Shimura as bureaucrat Kanji Watanabe, who learns that he is dying of stomach cancer with less than a year to live.

Upon hearing the news, Watanabe laments that throughout his life, he hadn't contributed anything to the world around him. After going to a bar in a futile attempt to enjoy himself, he finds solace in a young colleague, who inspires him to do one meaningful thing before he dies.

In a narrative point-of-view switch, the remainder of the film is told through the eyes of people at Watanabe's wake, who recount his last days and realize their meaningless lives are not very different from Watanabe's.

They find hope, however, in recalling Watanabe's final night, sitting on a playground he built--a small but poignant contribution before his death.

Critical Reception

Ikiru has a 100% "Tomatometer rating" on Rotten Tomatoes, receiving high praise from all contributing critics. Roger Ebert admits to being "moved" by the film every time he watches it; Michael Atkinson from The Village Voice called the film's themes "universal," and Kurosawa's execution of the story "startlingly astute."

The film is considered one of the finest films Kurosawa ever made.

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