''Ikiru'' (1952 movie)- Review

Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Released: 1952
Country: Japan

Genres: Drama

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 

Review

Life is beautiful. And a purpose is needed to realize this beauty of life. Without a purpose in life, how can one understand the real reason life is for? If one spends his life doing his work without pleasure, without a purpose, then isn't it a great injustice `to his life? Life is brief. We need to make the best use of this small time by having a purpose to live our life.

The protagonist of Ikiru, Watanabe-San (Takashi Shimura) is Section chief of Public Affairs at the city hall. He has been doing this job for thirty years. He has not been leading his life. Instead, it seems that he has just been passing his time. There is no pleasure, no purpose, in the work he does and the life he leads. After his wife's death, twenty years ago, he has done all he can for his son. But in return, he gets absolutely nothing from his son and daughter-in-law, who are rather interested in his pension money.

Then one day, Watanabe-San learns that he has stomach cancer. And just then, he comes to understand how he had spent thirty years with absolutely no pleasure and no purpose. And then, he decides to reclaim those thirty lost years of his life. He begins to start looking for a purpose in his life just at the time he realizes that he has not much time left.

He looks for solutions, he looks for the ways by which he can make up for the time he has lost, the time he has spent without any pleasure. And finally, he finds a purpose in life through his work. He undertakes the initiative to transform a cesspool, filled with mosquitoes, into a children's park.

The main concept of the film is itself so very beautiful. We just sometimes don't realize how beautiful life can be. We just have to look for the ways which can make our life meaningful. A purpose in life is absolutely necessary. A purpose, an initiative. We need pleasure in the work that we do. 

A very memorable thing in the film is, when Watanabe-San understands that he needs to have a real purpose to make up for the lost thirty years, when he undertakes the initiative to construct the park, the ''happy birthday'' tune is played at the background. This thing is indeed very symbolic. The ''happy birthday'' tune indicates that at last, after thirty years, Watanabe-san has found a purpose. He may have just five months left, but yet, these five months will give him the pleasure that thirty years couldn't give him.

A harsh thing that is showed is Watanabe-san's son's attitude towards him. After his wife had died, Watanabe-san did everything he could do for his son. The flashbacks show Watanabe-San cheering for his son at a game, and comforting his son before a surgery. And now, the son for whom he toiled his whole life, doesn't even pay respect to him.

Takashi Shimura is an excellent actor. The feelings of Watanabe-San is brought to life by him. The pain, the regret of the character is very well portrayed.

Ikiru is an inspirational film about life, that how purpose is so important to make our lives beautiful, peaceful, meaningful. Beauty is present in our life, we just need to have a purpose and pleasure to realize that our life is beautiful.

4.5 out of 5