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9.8/10
FilmFascination Rating
Every once in a while, you come across a film that compels the audience to think. That actually makes you wonder long after it ends. They are really hard to find nowadays. But Ikiru is one of them.
The protagonist of the movie, as it emphasizes multiple times, is Kanji Watanabe, a middle-aged bureaucrat who has spent his entire life working for the government. He is a lonely man disconnected from his family. The discovery of the diagnosis of terminal cancer opens Kanji’s eyes. A beautiful scene takes place in the hospital where he discovers his not-so-far death. It is not bad that he must die, everyone must at some point in their lives. What is worse is that he has never lived. After all, was the 30 years of relentless service just to get that certificate of appreciation really worth his life? This starts his journey of self-discovery and redemption to find the essence of his life before it is too late.
In the company of his newly befriended aspiring novelist, he tours the entire of Tokyo, trying to seek joy in girls and liquor which does him no good. He even tries to find consolation in his beloved and much-adored son. They misunderstand him and instead throw some nonsense allegations on him which utterly breaks his heart. But soon he gets opened to a new perspective.
Somewhere, at some point in our lives, I am pretty sure each of us becomes, as described in the movie- a mummy. We go through the same things every day, the same routine, the same breaks, the same work timings… Life turns into a set timetable. Even though we realize it; we choose to carry on with it. One of the many quotes from the movie that hit hard is – ‘The best way to protect our place in this world is to do nothing at all. But is this enough?’ And that is what makes the movie very relatable.
We often avoid doing things, in fear of losing something. Our job, money, relationship, or for that matter even dignity or respect. What if you take all that fear away? Then there is nothing holding you back. And that is how our protagonist becomes. He realizes this a long time after the news. The tragedy is some of us are never going to be that fearless and probably realise it when it is too late.
We hear that fact every day and we know we are going to die someday. But none of us really imagine it happening. I mean who wants that guilt, right? But Ikiru made me realize that death is not a guilt to be kept or for that matter a burden. I know it is ironic, but acknowledging death makes you live fully. ‘We only realize how beautiful life is when we face death. And even, then few of us realize it. The worst among us know nothing of life until they die.’ And this thought is brought to life and visualized so beautifully by Akira Kurosawa. Akira’s masterful skills can be noticed multiple times in the movie.
I have always thought that the soundtrack and songs are an essential part of the movie. They help convey emotions effectively. But in Ikiru, in the first part of the movie, the heavy emotional scenes like the one where he discovers he has stomach cancer are followed by pitch silent scenes. And they were phenomenally effective. The beauty of it lies when the director does not force you but lets you play with thoughts for a small amount of time when he silences all the sound. And this makes such a difference in the movie. Another instance of Akira’s skills is when Watanabe’s efforts don’t come in chronological order and are instead shown through his office colleagues’ discussion of him. That is where the heart of the film lies.
And the person who makes all this possible and actually imaginable is Takashi Shimura. He is a complete nobody at the beginning of the movie. And even at the end, he still is an ordinary man. But an ordinary man who has achieved a small place in some peoples’ hearts. And that is what makes a difference. The gradual realization of his situation and the transformation that Kanji undergoes is played beautifully by Takashi. The scene when the Yakuza members try to threaten him but leave him alone when they realize he has no fear at all is a chilling scene. Akira tries to show that anyone can do something that will give them the satisfaction to have lived in their life.
Ikiru is a 1952 movie, released more than half a century ago. And it just made me realise that people have always had problems- may it be 50 years ago, 25 years ago, or today. Nothing has really changed- the system, personal issues, and conflicts, nor the public problems. Everything is still there, even after all these years. In all this never-ending sorrow, the question after all is who is actually happy? As the movie tells, it is the one who realises that someday everything you have personally achieved is going to disappear in a click of fingers. What is going to stay is something that you have given. Something that is going to make people remember you because you did it for them.
I am just so glad I made the decision to watch this movie today. It is movies like this that make me glad that I started this site, particularly for the reason to share movies like ‘Ikiru’ that change us after we watch it. I hope this article persuades at least some of you to go check out this gem. I really do!
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