Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
4/4
Ikiru (To Live) - Movie Review
Matthew Brady - wrote on 10/07/2016
"How tragic that man can never realize how beautiful life is until he is face to face with death."
So after I watched the masterpiece "Seven Samurai" back in April, I couldn't wait to watch another Kurosawa movie. "Ikiru" was one of his movies that I wanted to watch next after hearing so much recommendation for it from The Criterion Collection selection. And the fact that this has been on my watch-list for quite awhile. Actually, it's been on there for over three years now and I finally got myself to watching it.
And what can I honestly say about this one.
This movie broke me, but surprisingly in the best ways.
Ikiru is a miserable and yet powerful film that has a hard hitting message. And to think that this movie was made in the 50's can have a deep impact on you and make …
Rating of
3/4
"Ikiru" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 04/16/2012
Ikiru is Akira Kurosawa in full social commentary mode. It is the story of a civil servant who hasn't missed a day of work in 30 years, and when faced with the news that he is going to die, he realises that it was 30 years wasted. The engaging first half of the film is spent in the company of Takashi Shimura as he deals with the prospect of death, and tries to figure out exactly what it is that will make his last 6 months on Earth worthwhile. It's a touching portrait of a man so entrenched in the mundane he has no idea what's important anymore; a kind of anti-Lester Burnham. When he finally realises what he must do, we are introduced to his funeral, where the various factions within his life bicker and relive his last weeks, trying to dissect it to discover what had brought about such a …
Rating of
4/4
Ikiru review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 03/15/2012
A rare picture that drives the viewer to think because of its thought provoking screenplay and interplay of several characters all impacted by a single individual’s transformation. The story of a competent and loyal Section Chief of the Public affairs named Watanabe. He and his son Mitsuo have a strained relationship and had realized his time wasted at work after having known of his stomach cancer. He spends time in a disco, arcade, drinking, Movie Theater and more. Usage of flashbacks and background characters were in full effect. Remarkable lines from the movie: Waiter – “Some die without ever once knowing what life is really like.” and “The greed to live is a virtue.” Watanabe - “If you’re going tomorrow, why not spend today..” “I can't afford to hate anyone. …
