I originally screened Ikiru by Akira Kurosawa in 2004. I was 16 years old. I will be telling you why I chose the film, why I fell in love with it, and why it's one of my all-time favorite Kurisawa films. We've all been there, question our existence and our very mortality, wondering if tomorrow will ever come. I found myself thinking this in the year 2004, a very turbulent time in my personal life. I was changing schools, having to meet knew people, and was subjected to quite a few medical issues (I'll spare you the details). Essentially, I found myself wondering at such a young age the meaning of life, and if I knew my "expiration date," what I'd do.
Whenever I see a film, I always try to find a way to connect it with my own life. This comes easier to some films, and harder to others. I saw Ikiru in the Spring of 2004 (April). I felt a deep emotional connection with it, wondering how I would feel if I put myself in Mr. Watanabe's (our protagonist) shoes. If I had wasted the last 30 years of my life in a bureaucratic job, how would I feel knowing that my ultimate demise was impending? Granted, being 16 years old at the time I had not experienced such a lackluster lifestyle that Mr. Watanabe had, but I found myself still asking what I would do. What does Watanabe have? Solely his job. His family is only concerned with how much money they will gain from his inheritance. He has his papers at his desk and nothing else. When Watanabe meets the gentleman at the bar, he finally begins to live. He goes out to night clubs, bars, and the like and lets himself be free. This is where my second favorite scene of the entire film occurs. When Watanabe is inside the dance club, he requests that the piano player play a solemn Japanese pop hit from the early 1900's. It is here that everyone is taken aback by Watanabe singing the lyrics. The look on his face says it all: no matter how much he tries to forget he has terminal cancer, he cannot get away from it. Alcohol only masks (and worsens) his problem. Dancing and being free are only temporary reliefs. The fact of the matter is, he will die, and he has frittered away a third of his life stamping papers. This scenes is haunting to me because it seems to me that he finally realizes he cannot get away.
Side note: I also enjoy the film because it speaks out against bureaucracy (one of my sore spots). The work Watanabe is doing is meaningless. He has lived his life at a desk with an ink pad and stamp in hand. He was simply a cog in a machine all these years, and thanks to the monotonous monster known as bureaucracy, he has led a worthless life. What's worse is that he is constantly reminded of it when he goes home by his certificate of appreciation for years of hard work.
I felt that the interaction he had with the enthusiastic young lady from his office is also very important. Watanabe obviously had never had the sort of interaction he had had with her before. She offered him a sense of hope. Perhaps in the time he has left, he can see life in the way that she does: carefree, enthused, and full of vivacity. It's also very important to note that she is poor, yet she loves life so much. Watanabe realizes that no matter how much money he has, he has always been miserable. Watanabe wonders, "If this young lady can live her life without money to it's fullest, why can't I?" Money can't buy happiness. Watanabe starts to realizes all of those things he took for granted while being cooped up in his office, like sunsets.
Watanabe's death was important. It served as a wake up call to all the other employees in his office. The employees also realize that by sending people around to other departments, they're wasting the other people's lives, too. The second to last scene at the mourning of Watanabe's death is not only my favorite in the film, but my favorite of almost every movie I've ever seen because of the harsh realization the employees come to.
The brevity of life is the meaning of the film. Ikriru (in English, "To Live") is a film that made me personally take a step back and remember to not take anything for granted. I hope that anyone who views this film can have a sort of trans formative experience, connect the film with your own life, and remember that life is brief.
Side note: I also enjoy the film because it speaks out against bureaucracy (one of my sore spots). The work Watanabe is doing is meaningless. He has lived his life at a desk with an ink pad and stamp in hand. He was simply a cog in a machine all these years, and thanks to the monotonous monster known as bureaucracy, he has led a worthless life. What's worse is that he is constantly reminded of it when he goes home by his certificate of appreciation for years of hard work.
I felt that the interaction he had with the enthusiastic young lady from his office is also very important. Watanabe obviously had never had the sort of interaction he had had with her before. She offered him a sense of hope. Perhaps in the time he has left, he can see life in the way that she does: carefree, enthused, and full of vivacity. It's also very important to note that she is poor, yet she loves life so much. Watanabe realizes that no matter how much money he has, he has always been miserable. Watanabe wonders, "If this young lady can live her life without money to it's fullest, why can't I?" Money can't buy happiness. Watanabe starts to realizes all of those things he took for granted while being cooped up in his office, like sunsets.
Watanabe's death was important. It served as a wake up call to all the other employees in his office. The employees also realize that by sending people around to other departments, they're wasting the other people's lives, too. The second to last scene at the mourning of Watanabe's death is not only my favorite in the film, but my favorite of almost every movie I've ever seen because of the harsh realization the employees come to.
The brevity of life is the meaning of the film. Ikriru (in English, "To Live") is a film that made me personally take a step back and remember to not take anything for granted. I hope that anyone who views this film can have a sort of trans formative experience, connect the film with your own life, and remember that life is brief.
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