The film definitely goes beyond existentialism. I am very proud of my nation produced a masterpiece.

I love this movie! My favorite aspect of it is how Watanabe's fellow bureaucrats at his funeral are so dismissive of him, but slowly one would say "but there was that time...." and one by one they all seemed to remember a specific moment that struck them (those flashbacks are perfect), and by the end it's so freakin' awesome how they've all put together this beautiful timeline of what he did. And that last shot has me in tears every time.

If I remember well, there's a wise contrast between the formal funeral ceremony, with all these bureaucrats and relatives feeling pity or contempt for him (in contrast with all the honouring formalities), while the women in the neibourghood, the ones really benefited from his achievement, cry for real, feel real pain for the man who has done so much for them!

I cried and cried and cried. Most touching movie I've ever seen. Sad, exhilarating and dammit....beautiful.

I’ve never even seen much Japanese cinema before this film, nor much foreign cinema in general. I grew up watching a lot of American cinema, but I took a break from cinema for the last 4 years until earlier this year. Ikiru broke me. I have seen sad films, but I don’t think that there is a *medium* that has emotionally fractured me like this film did. I have seen hundreds of films, but nothing imho comes close to how moving this film is. The ending is the most beautifully sad thing I have ever seen. This film leaves so much open for interpretation. My interpretation is a depressing one, since the very end of the film shows how he doesn’t get credit and everything goes back to normal. What I personally love about this is how often this actually happens, how direct it is about being forgotten and being misinterpreted. So many stories mystify things to a unrealistic degree, when in reality, it’s completely utterly mundane. It’s so beautifully absurd, like something from “The Stranger” by Camus or “Notes from Underground” by Dostoyevsky. I personally feel the end is hopeless, which makes me personal love the movie even more. Who knew that my favorite film would just be about a guy building a park. It’s truly a masterpiece.

I find it remarkable that the protagonist in Ikiru is played by Takashi Shimura, who also played the head Samurai in Seven Samurai. What a remarkable range!

I have a few points of interest that may spur on further discussion: 1) Watanabe's voice is very revealing, hollow and understated. All the pent up frustration of his past life can barely escape his closed lips. 2) The girl from work is reminiscent somewhat of Shirley Temple with her doe eyes and bubbling laughter. 3)"Before the tides of passion cool within you" the last lines of the gondola song while sitting on the swing, couldn't be more apropos. 4) The rising harp arpeggios at the end of the phrases in the snow song are pure genius. In fact, the soundtrack could be played without the film and everything in it could be imagined and reconstructed.

None of us are promised the next three seconds. It's more important to bring something good into the world than to create something grand and expensive. It may not exist with your name, but it will live on and make a difference.

More layers to the swing set scene i thought about on my drive today: the weather. Weather and Kurosawa, man, every time its utilized it's important and has meaning. So, snow. I've noticed, say for the entire framing story of Rashomon or whenever someone dies in Seven Samurai, rain is used. Or in Yojimbo, wind is blowing when he enters the city. In Kurosawas films, whether it's forbidding, scary, depressing, sad, whatever, inclement weather is 9/10 times gonna imply a negative emotion. However... in Ikiru, its snowing. Snow, a very innocent, pure kind of weather, one that is often remembered fondly when you reflect on your childhood and sledding with friends in the backyard. Add on the fact he's singing a song about the wonders of life while swinging, as you've mentioned which connects the theme of childhood even more, it further cements this scene as being one of the most bittersweet in all of cinema. Forbidding inclement weather but pure, he's doomed to die but now he's at peace.

This movie makes me cry 😢

I just finished watching Ikiru for the first time, though it'd been on my list of must-watch movies for a very long time. Among the points you made about the movie, I also took from it a potent reminder that it's not too late, whatever age or point in my life I may be at, to do good and be charitable. Thank you as always for your excellent commentary.

This is one of the best films ever made. Top 5.

I first saw this movie a half century ago when I was very young. I have never been able to forget it. It haunts me. I am so happy that it has been remade by another of my favourite persons-the novelist Kazuo Ishiguro. I am so looking forward to seeing the newer adaptation.

I would say the reason why the funeral setting in the 2nd half is there and why his last days are told in flashbacks and as memories of other people.. It's because Kurosawa was inspired from the start by the short novel "The death of Ivan Ilyich" written by Leo Tolstoy. The themes are the same. The protagonist and his environment are similar. The novel starts with the protagonist's colleagues talking about him in the funeral and only after Tolstoy starts telling the story of the protagonist from the start.

Thanks for covering this Dr., great movie! For me, the emotional high in this movie was when the group of women come in crying at the funeral. And the men, all look at each other. That's one measure of life well lived, when strangers have that feeling of terrible loss.

It is definitely one of the greatest movies ever made, all of Kurosawa's movies are approximately masterpieces, but I think Ikiru and especially Rashomon might be best of the best. Why there are no more movies like these for so long time ago. Thank you for this analysis to this deep piece of art.

The swinging on the snowy weather binds to being a child and having this glow for life, like Watanabe mentions to the young lady, also they say his oily skin turned dry and rough.

Thank you Dr. Josh for highlighting and analysing this masterpiece! The great Takashi Shimura might be not that celebrated like that of Toshiro Mifune. But, his versatility was endless! Who can say that the leading samurai from Seven Samurai and this Watanabe are the same person! How could Kurosawa juglle these actors between extremes of characteristics and different gravity of roles! Watanabe's death scene would have been a real tearjerker. But that was not the point of the drama. His death was just an intermission. The narrative stretches beyond his death and focusses on the idiosyncrasies and personal biases of his conrades and family members. It was like the proverbial Blind men and the Elephant. Each has something to argue aboit. But no one can grasp the whole truth. Kind of Rashoman effect.. Isn't it? Yet another great essay by Dr. Josh! With love from India Jiten....

Greatest movie-related channel bare none! Way more interesting than other movie review KZfaqrs. I also love the kind of movies you're discussing. Added a few that I didn't know yet on my watching list as well.

Absolutely 💯this film always made me cry

Yes a great movie of a "little" life. My special project when I studied cinema was on Kurosawa and I analysed the very intriguing and complex structure of Ikiru.

I think that nobody comes out with the same mindset that he/she had before this movie. Truly one of the greatest works of art. I personally believe that this movie wants to say live not only exist, because existence is empty without pure life. And after that life ends your legacy big or small will effect the next generation. And as a young Filmaker I have to say that this movie inspired me the most with Blade Runner to take the decision to follow my filmaking dream

I own the DVD and try to watch Ikiru at least once a year

Great recap. Thank u for making this video. Please keep letting others know this is a must watch. A week ago i seen this movie for the 7th or 8th time. This is one of my friend picker movies. I choose my friends on response to my list of movies. My first time i saw this movie, i was in a dark place in my life. The channel i had been watching was doing a Criterion Collection Saturdays, and this movie came up. It helped change how i was going look, respond, and accept life's curve balls. Also understand that i was not personally chosen for bad things to happen, i helped create some of my so called bad luck.

This is the best short analysis of this film I have seen. Well done!

You have provided an excellent analysis of this film. I just watched it for the first time recently and I was so impressed by every aspect of the film. The type of story felt very much like a Yasujiro Ozu story... about our lives. It is now one of my top 10 favorite films. I didn't realize Kurosawa made such "everyday life" sort of films, I thought he was all about making the epic style film.

Another great analysis Josh! This is such and amazing and powerful movie, one of the kind that can and should be watched by everyone since I think it really has the power to guide you through life. What I gathered from my first viewing is that the general goal of human life is to create. But the nuance wich the movie gives to this pretty common thought is that we should not necessary aim for a transcendantal creation (e.g. writing the next Brothers Karamazov) but for creation either in and out of itself or for our well-being or the one of other. If you create in order to be praised by other, you will certainly be disappointed, but if you aim for a smaller goal wich has the power to change people's lives - and not have the power to change your own reputation - then you have access to a higher way of living. Thanks again for the video Josh, can't wait to see what you're cooking next!

Great breakdown. I will have to rewatch this! Has been a few years

Nice! This & Ran are my 2 fav movies from my fav director. No doubt cuz this is not a samurai movie, this was not the 1st Kurosawa movie I heard of or saw but what a powerful discovery (much like High and Low & Bad Sleep Well). This has gotta be Takashi Shimura's best role, hes always solid tho. Thank you for your analysis, this film digs deep.... I always connect this movie to Bergman's Wild Strawberries I wouldn't watch too much of this video without seeing the movie 1st, like you said spoiler alerts

I first saw this movie as an undergrad at Mount St. Mary's College in 2002. It changed my life. It beg me to ask me why should I exist? Where am I going? Is there more to life thank work, family and death?

Its my second fav kurusawa film after seven samurai- this movie makes u think about ur life more than any other

I saw this movie years ago and never forgot it. I think that is part of what makes a great movie.

that shot in the elevator going down, when it stopped at the bottom i *felt* it… beautiful film.

This film in particular is a well-acted and a moving humanist tale about one man facing his own morality. This is probably Kurosawa's most intimate film. And just like Citizen Kane, i can also see why this movie also having a reputation as a landmark in Japanese cinema. I give this a 9.3/10 rating. A very incredible film and although despite its semi-slow pacing its definitely one of the best. 😊😊👍👍

I just watched your commentary about this film. It was also introduced to me by another friend who has mutual indepth experience in Japan. Thank you for this insight to enhance my limited comprehension of the language. Your commentary, my friend's recommendation and considering my age, I definitely want to watch this classic. (Spiler, I was 5 years old when Kurosawa made this movie. Cheers, TokyoJerry.

This just got a Hollywood remake LIVING 2022 staring Bill nighly

This is scheduled to play at the TCM Classic Film Festival next month- hoping to see it for the first time there, then come back and watch this video.

Ikiru (as well as Yoidore Tenshi) are nearly perfect films. You could take the characters and plot, move them to any location or culture, and the movie still works. Yet they are just as Japanese as any of his samurai epics and wonderful keyholes into the spirit of Japan.

Once again a film that is true in any time period. All men know that they shall die, or sooner or senselessly. The glittery, cheap escapism swamping younger people is as much a death as the sarariman's (person's) desk, yet all those frantic influences, cravings and needs, mistaken for living, are as illusory here as they were in 'The Lower Depths'. Having the writer in the role of 'a kind of Mephistopheles' says much about both religions and addictions, and their predators.

Just went to watch the new version of this Movie "The Living" with Bill Nighy - In what has been praised as a ‘career-best’ performance by critics, Bill Nighy delivers an Oscar-nominated tour de force in understated acting in the tender drama.

Great review! One of my favorite films.

I saw Ikiru tonight. I love Kurosawa but I thought it (along with Rashomon) was over-rated. I much prefer High and Low - that's a fantastic film!

It will be interesting to see if the British remake (“Living”) measures up. Surprisingly, it got good reviews at Sundance 2022, so there’s hope.

This is very typically Japanese - the kind of introspection and the resulting epiphanies that one can see in other Japanese movies. For instance, the film departures touched upon a subject that is or was very nearly taboo in polite Japanese society. Whenever I watch it, I positivily weep buckets of tears. Two of my very favourite Kurosawa films are Ran and Dreams.

Have you reviewed spiral staircase .it’s a lesser film then this ,but a small gem of the forties Have just co edited a book on film noir music ,being published in September 2022 Just discovered this channel I love your observations

Thanks for great invaluable informing.

what do you think about "living" and have you seen it?

Great analysis/review :) I was brought here by my own video listing it as one of my all-time favorites (along with The Fountain, which I saw in your intro)! The crazy thing for me is that I saw it when I was most of the way done with my first novel, and the themes (particularly how it answers finding purpose in life) are heavily similar. I just recently realized that the cover even looks a bit like the "swing in snow" cover shot of the film: www.amazon.com/dp/1734847719 . Anyways, thanks for covering this all-time classic!

They had to piece together what he did. Watanabe was very discreet about his achievement.

Momento mori (latin for remember your mortality by the stotic thinker and roman emperor Marcus Aurelius). I think its important for all adults that can handle it mentally to come as close as possible to terms with mortality. Not holding onto anything in life so tight, life depends on that thing. I heard of the movie "living" made last year on a podcast which is a british remake of this movie. I been reading "death of ivan ilych" which is the book this movie is based on. I plan to consume all 3 versions. Reminds me of breaking bad, walter white in season1.

Thanks, my new favorite movie

I like ur summary of this movie

could you please cover masaki kobayashis human condition trilogy?

hello sir would love to know your views on Ingmar bergman's seventh seal seen it recently

I agree with you completely, you should watch RAJ KAPOOR movies his movies had meanings about life , he made movies for the poor people in india .

at least he did not end up making a meth empire

I sincerely hope that one day Dr. Josh will be more famous than that sweet Roger Ebert!

Great video. Really.

literally it is a great great movie on of my top 5

I love Kurosawa’s reoccurring cast! This movie fucked me up though 😔

This is a really sad movie

Loved the movie but i have to say something. Many things do not age well in the play of many of the actors and even the situations. Sometimes you see an old movie which fly the ages (Chaplin for eg) but the side characters do not cut it. It feels over played, kabuki style and forced and since the second part is mostly composed of those it gives a bit of shadow to the movie.

SEE "KUROSAWA'S DREAMS"

Its a Wonderful Life?

ANAND 1971 WAS ALSO INSPIRED FROM THIS

Hey, awesome breakdown of a truly awesome classic! I am actually in the process on my channel of putting together a community list of the Top 100 Greatest Films of All Time and I was wondering if you’d be interested in contributing a list to the poll!

Hello sir I would love to know your views on Rome, Open City. I saw it last night.

Off topic here, forgive me, but have you considered reviewing The Exorcist 3 and The Ninth Configuration, if you haven’t already?

Good story, men walk around not knowing what they want and what to put in this world ,its like men dont know their own power

What are your seventy others

really enjoyed this not much like it!

What DOESN'T make this movie great ? It has too many qualities to list