Ikiru is one of the greatest works of Akira Kurosawa, infamous Japanese filmmaker. Many said that his films often inspired many western movies, for example, Star Wars. The lead actor of this film is Takashi Shimura. He is praised in this filmbecause of his acting that give a certain degree of emotional depth to viewers. Thisfilm is telling us about the story of a “dead-inside” oldman who eventually liveanactual life after facing a death sentence. Here is my summary of it.
Watanabe have worked as a sector chief of Public Affairs for nearly 30 years. But hedoesn’t seem bored, despite always doing the same activity everyday. His colleagues astonished as he never absent in that period.
But the thing is changed when his stomachache got more severe. The doctor said, in indirect way, that he got stomach cancer. This is pretty much a death sentence. Knowing that he can’t live for more than 6 months, he is depressed and lost his conscience.
In the house, there is a couple, his son and the wife, that whispered behind their father’s back. They want to buy a new house with their father’s home as collateral. But they don’t realize that Watanabe is already there, eavesdropping all of thetime. Watanabe is pretty much broken at that time that he doesn’t mad at them. Then, hegoes out from home, abandoning his duty--and also broke his 30 years record.
He tries to calm himself by drinking. But someone stops him, understand his problem, and show the way to live an actual life. It is to get as much fun as theycould. They go to game center, fancy restaurant, and play with womans. But, thosestill can’t fill up the void in his heart. This is shown by Watanabe’s singing of “Gondola no Uta” in a hurtful, misery tone.
After that, he meets with a woman from his office, Odagiri, who wanted to resignfrom her job. She is a cheerful person and appears to bring cherish to everyonethat Watanabe seems relaxed a bit from his bitter condition. Later, they are goingtoWatanabe’s home because he need a stamp for the resign letter.
But, his son is misunderstood that Watanabe is having a degenerate behavior andgoing fun with woman for this past two weeks. In other side, Watanabe, who seemswant to tell about his illness, loses his chance and gets depressed even more. Hegoes out again, but now he knows a place that will calm him.
He takes Odagiri on a date again, although she resisted for the first time. Sooner, the situation is getting worse. She warned Watanabe that she don’t want this getsout of hands. But the fact is he doesn’t have any interest in her. He just feel envyabout her that seems fun and “lively” in her lifes. Then, she gives himan advicethat about changes him drastically: “Make things that you want to make” (if I’mnot false to recall).
And the day after, he goes to work. Usually, the Public Affairs don’t want to workover the citizen’s request--and it seems true to all of other affairs and the DeputyMajor. However, Watanabe takes the job to build a park, even if it’s actually thejobof Engineering Section. The days after the park was complete, he is found deadinthat place at a snowy night.
The movie is actually over, but the following part is about the revelation of Watanabe’s death in the point of view of other characters. The Deputy Major andEngineering Section insisted that the park is not Watanabe’s job alone and his act isnot that important, even if the citizens adore him. His colleagues and his family, including the son, finally realized that he knew that he had stomach cancer andgot
no longer lifetime. This is ended by the promise that they, the Public Affairs, belikeWatanabe and don’t want to be like other bureaucrats that always ignore the people--but eventually, everybody seems immersed again in each’s lifes andforgets about it.
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