Ikiru
Sometimes I think of death , wrote Kurosawa, I think of ceasing to be... and its from these thoughts that Ikiru came. The story of a man diagnosed with stomach cancer, Kurosawa's film is a series contemplation of the nature of existence and the question of how we find meaning in our lives.
Opening with a slot of an x-ray, showing the main character's stomach, Ikiru tells the tale of a dedicated, downtrodden civil servant who, diagnosed with a fatal cancer, learns to change his dull, unfulfilled existence, and suddenly discovers a zest for life. Plunging first into self-pity, then a bout of hedonistic pleasure-seeking on the frenetic streets of post-war Tokyo, Watanabe the film's hero finally finds satisfaction through building a children's playground.
Beautifully played by Takashi Shimura (who starred in 21 of Kurosawa's films), Ikiru is an intensely lyrical and moving film, and was one of Kurosawa's own favourites.
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Supplements
- Introduction by Alex Cox
- Biographies of Kurosawa and Shimura
- Essay by Philip Kemp