Ikiru
(1952)
| Title: | Ikiru |
| Descriptor: | Shimura Takashi is amazing in this film. An old man, Watanabe, finds out that he has stomach cancer. This leads him on a wild chase for the meaning of life. He discovers that even though he has perfect attendance at work, this is until his quest, at which time he takes a leave of absence, and has given his son his everything he needed, food, shelter, money, his life is like what his co-workers call a "mummy." He moves without thought, without sould - all outside, not inside. There is one co-worker, a young woman, so full of life - that he follows in an attempt to find the source of vitality. "Make something." she tells him, that's what bring me joy. Despite his sacrifices, in his son's eyes he is not a real father - the minute the son suspects Watanabe of lewd behavior, he condems him. A few months later, Watanabe san is dead. But he leaves a legacy, a legacy of his life. He obstinantly overrides the local beauracracy to get a dumping ground made into a park for children. He has made something for the children - the future generations - he found life. |
| Date Watched: | April, something, 2001 (or somewhere around then) |
| Comments: | Shimura outdoes himself in this film. The eye dripping with melencholy, the desperation of a dying man, the vitality of a living man...I ran across this film by chance at Blockbuster. One snowing winter evening, I was feeling kind of blue, I swung by Blockbuster and Ikiru found me. I watched it that night and cried. I can make something too I thought. I think I watched the film three times over the course of three days. I watched it again this spring and found that I love it just as much as I did then. Everyone seeks to find meaning in their lives, just as the peole were searching for the meaning of Watanabe's life after he passed. The secret is that we must find it in ourselves, and not in others...of course others are instrumental in our quest, but ultimately, we hold the key. This film, and Shimura hold a special place in my heart. Not as an ends, but a booster towards getting there. |
