"It's our human duty to enjoy life."

My first Kurosawa has left me astounded. Ikiru - meaning 'To Live' - successfully crushes that ever-so-reputable challenge in making the audience think about life yet still remain as an artistic escape for them. It made me think about my future and my past, it made me think about family and friends, it made me think about you - it didn't once make me think about the year this was made; Ikiru never feels like a black and white film from 1952, and that's because it is from the work of a master.

Takashi Shimura's quietly powerful lead performance is spectacular; the windows to his soul are certainly not clean yet still bring out a reflection of myself when I look into them. Shimura and his terribly upset eyes really make the most of this fantastic script and generously bring this character along for all of us to see. When he gets drunk, we forget about the cancer too - until the film barbarously reminds us again just as a bulky thunderstorm begins outside. Kurosawa expertly balances out his interaction with the audience and his expression for the audience to witness, as shown in a phenomenal final shot that will leave you immured in thought.

*hops off swing*

Typical Kurasawa creative framing in the beginning of the movie. The scene of dancers shot through bead curtains swinging in time to the music was brilliant. His choice of Miki Odagiri for muse is brilliant. Her laugh is infectious. The last act stuck me as rather static. It's perhaps from cultural mores about the dead I don't understand (like the taboo of not ever sticking your chopsticks into the rice bowl!). Kurasawa waxes philosophical on life and government here, and indeed, nothing has changed in 70 years.

I watched the English follow-up version (Living) before watching this original, and wished Inhad reversed my order. I liked Living much more than this original, but since both were written by the same Japanese scriptwriter, my preference might be cultural rather than due to quality issues, not to mention the scriptwritery have come up with improvements throug the intervening years.

The club and bar scenes near the beginning seem to go on much longer than in the remake, or at least it seems like it! And the same for the later scenes with the young woman. Then again, that wouldn’t be surprising since this older version is 40 minutes longer.

Still, the differences in the details based on the separate cultures are interesting to note, and I recommend both versions, though I would start with the older one as I mentioned above.

"How tragic that man can never realize how beautiful life is until he is face to face with death."

So after I watched the masterpiece "Seven Samurai" back in April, I couldn't wait to watch another Kurosawa movie. "Ikiru" was one of his movies that I wanted to watch next after hearing so much recommendation for it from The Criterion Collection selection. And the fact that this has been on my watch-list for quite awhile. Actually, it's been on there for over three years now and I finally got myself to watching it.

And what can I honestly say about this one.

This movie broke me, but surprisingly in the best ways.

Ikiru is a miserable and yet powerful film that has a hard hitting message. And to think that this movie was made in the 50's can have a deep impact on you and make you think twice about your life.

I have this feeling inside of me that Kurosawa is slowly becoming my favorite director. The camera work, the transmissions and the finest of acting are only naming a few things that's great about this movie. Never as a film that captured depression and people who are diagnose with cancer so damn accurate. Or how relatable it is even today. He really dose live up to be the most influential directors of all time, as he's film making style is seriously impressive beyond any words. As for right now, I only seen two of his films and I'm already in love. Akira Kurosawa is cinema. No question about it.

Takashi Shimura delivers such a raw and haunting performance that you just want to reach out and give the guy a hug. It's one of the finest piece of acting I've ever seen. I don't think any other performance broke me down like this guy did. I mean, a scene that involves a man simultaneously reminisces over a favorite song of his, whilst contemplating imminent death in a drunken state of melancholy. The sadness and regret was captured so perfectly just by his face and eyes that tells so much without him saying anything. Even as I'm writing this right now, I see have the image of Shimura sad face is implanted in my head. And to think that about two years later this guy will be in "Seven Samurai", which I didn't know while watching this. That's how good he is.

This is one of the most honest look at life anyone has ever portrayed on the screen and it will be long before anyone can do the same. What makes this Akira Kurosawa greatest achievement is by displaying the most poignant images in cinema. Watanabe (Takashi Shimura) swinging slowly in the children’s playground, singing to himself, “Life is so Brief/short" while snow softly falling. And here's something interesting I found out before I started writing this. Akira Kurosawa instruct Shimura to sing "Song of the Gondola," as if you are a stranger in a world where nobody believes you exist.

Kurosawa is just a genius and he never stops to make us be so awed at his work.

Overall rating: Ikiru is a movie that I think everyone needs to see. To anyone who lived through cancer or got cancer, I know this movie will touch you very deeply. It's depressing and inspirational at the time.

Takashi Shimura is "Watanabe", an elderly civil service lifer who is told that he has terminal stomach cancer. After years of a disciplined, rather pedestrian existence he now feels a need to emancipate himself and start to live a little. The story is told through two threads: one looks at the end of the old gent's life from his own perspective; the second takes a retrospective view from the wake as his family and colleagues gather to remember him. Kurusawa is clearly making a point with this delicate, poignant film - perhaps life needs to be appreciated and enjoyed - not necessarily in a jovial, happy fashion, but by achievement. In this case "Watanabe" sets about using his position to help locals get a park, but he also starts an empowering relationship (platonic) with a younger girl, who is quite keen on her food, it has to be said. As his colleagues at the wake suffer from excesses of saké their traditionally stiff, reserved, view of their late friend becomes more of a tool to evaluate their own roles and purpose as they determine to be more like him.... The writing has plenty of humour and again, Kurosawa uses weather as a wonderfully potent instrument to create a great atmospheric feel to this gentle story of profound change, and - maybe - contentment.