Ikiru (1952) The Human Spirit | Film Analysis

[@TH-nf1eo]

The birthday scene continues to show the turning point in Watanabe’s life. He sees the toy rabbit his former employee has brought from her new job assembling them, and the thought comes to him, playground. Something to give his life a sense of purpose for the short amount of time has to live, and as he leaves to return to his office to pursue that project, the girls in the background begin to sing “Happy Birthday” when they see the birthday girl arrive. They pass each other on the stairs, that song is for both of them. Watanabe is reborn, he finally begins to live rather than merely passing time as he had all his life. There is often so much richness to be found in Kurosawa’s best scenes, it’s worth watching them repeatedly to see the intricacy with which he tells his stories.

[@FernandoPaganni]

I thought film analysis would talk deeper about it. Happy birthday scene was a scene full of meaning. Thank you

[@TH-nf1eo]

Ferdinand With a film such as one by Kurosawa, you can always find more than one layer of meaning in a scene. That stairway was a designed and constructed set, not a real location, so the extra work spent on that aspect of a scene meant it was important to have an effect in the viewer, to show something that adds symbolism to the scene. Complicated, multi-floored sets are harder to build, more complicated for lighting, to move the camera around, etc., and Kurosawa was a filmmaker who put everything into a scene for a good reason. It’s such a pivotal moment in the story, so Kurosawa films it in a way that best uses the art form.

[@ThomasPollock95]

Thanks for this very insightful comment. I hadn't thought of the scene as significant as this- but it is definitely a scene that shows his new purpose- a boost of vigor. Since making this analysis I have found it heavily rewading re-watching many of my favourite Kurosawa films- The Bad Sleep Well was a whole new experience on second viewing.

[@sukeroku1]

In another view you can see how lonely watanabe's

[@grendelum]

*Ikiru* is, by far, the saddest film ever made... and the most beautiful.

[@EminAnimE1]

Grave of the Fireflies is sadder but yeah, Ikiru is pretty sad

[@anantabhagaskara1741]

Tokyo Story is sadder for me...because it can happen to everyone even me

[@InvadersMustDie1918]

saddest ? If Ikiru is the saddest, that means you didn't see too much movies.

[@flamma6096]

Me Against The World it’s one of the saddest in terms of realism, if you take its implications to heart and apply them to society today. How many people are really, truly living? And you have to be at least in your 30s or 40s or more living that day to day or understand that to really understand how saddening it is

[@alec187]

I disagree... I think the film is a perfect juxtaposition of melancholy and joy. Even though Watanabe’s impending death was deeply saddening, it ultimately highlighted his joy during the conclusion of the film. It wouldn’t even be accurate to call this movie a tragedy.

[@TH-nf1eo]

What amazes me is how so different a character Takisha Shimura plays only two years later in Seven Samurai.

[@davidw.2791]

And two years before this, he was the peasant in “Rashomon”.

[@mogaman28]

He totally looks like a different person and it´s all body posture and face attitude.

[@pollyannakarina]

My favourite scene is the unfolding of his wake and how slowly the room, one by one, lets it's collective guard down to acknowledge Watanabe's brilliant example and how they are all on the road he was on and the resolve to do better to help people. But the scene of Watanabe on the swing singing his song about life being short is just overwhelmingly poignant and magical. Absolute genius!

[@castelodeossos3947]

Yes, they resolve to do better but what makes it credible is that they don't carry out that resolve. Next day, once they've sobered up, Watanabe is a mere memory, and it's the usual routine.

[@akiraikura]

One my favorite movie. Ironically, the plot and messages in this movie, still applicable till today, as the human race never learn to live the life as gifted by the creator

[@arstar5435]

Ironically enough, this was the exact point made at the end of the movie, even after that night full of passionate drunkards ready to help people, everyone went back to their old ways of never truly caring, the only one thats willing to speak about it himself sits down and accepts his position. None of them learned their lesson.

[@viktor_vaughn]

Watanabe lived his life in an instance, and in 5 month lived a life whole.

[@dejanjosipovic5165]

This is one of the most saddest and beautiful movies of all time

[@nakamurasyuji7750]

I love the film. Who do not? I’m very proud of I am a Japanese person whose nation produced the sublime, brilliant, and beautiful film. When you will not be moved by seeing the film, you are finished as a human.

[@killakode1]

The scene where he wanders to the bar is exactly the same in the fountain by aronofsky

[@user-ku7ty9eo5k]

Everyone needs a friend like the "Novelist"

[@yamanokanata6826]

In all movies in these days they speaks such a beautiful Japanese, slowly, clearly, and elegantly.

[@arc26]

Beautiful movie, Beautiful Analysis! Thank you!

[@hebneh]

The title is "Ikiru" with a "u" at the end, not an "i".

[@PapagiannisWoW]

it's his accent, man xD

[@ユーザー-v8v]

hebneh That's right! i ki ru

[@chubusummer]

@@PapagiannisWoW yeah, OP may be an englishman or australian

[@davidw.2791]

tube _76 What’s important is that he spelled it right in his video’s titles. :)

[@LoneBirdORG]

It is my all time favourite film. So sad and true.

[@CustomerServiceAssistant]

This film reminds one of the novels of V.S. Naipaul: a little nobody of a lifelong failure stands mute and trembling before inarticulated forces of destiny that slowly pull at him as he is called upon (in the case of the dying slug in Ikiru, neighborhood women wanting a new park for their kids) to actually do something. This lame excuse for a man can’t even put a sentence together; his “moment of triumph” belongs to those who have a passion for life. They (the raging mothers) cause the park to be built, the old, ugly, diseased-fouled waste of space department director is no more than a tool in their hands, a sub-human conduit of bureaucratic power. Kurosawa‘s achievement here is making his audience believe they are witnessing the story of a man, again just a conduit for showing us Japanese society. The old man is more ghost than anything, and his disappearance in death has no effect on the world or, for that matter, Japanese society.

[@南条英機]

This movie is Japanese Citizen Kane.I like both Kurosawa and Orson Wells.

[@bobjjjjj]

Great video. I love the film and it was interesting to hear you give your analysis of it.

[@ThomasPollock95]

Cheers man.

[@joecaner]

I love this film.

[@makukenobi5385]

Havnt seen the movie huge fan of akira samurai films, good review man

[@ThomasPollock95]

Couldnt recommend this human drama more. Thanks.

[@sammitra1973]

Anand also inspired from this film

[@tonywords6713]

great film

[@cherylm2C6671]

So, is this movie only about Mr. Watanabe's search for his own meaning, or is it an indictment of the very unpleasant 'expectation' that every sarari-man is supposed to burden himself with in the new society? No tears for Mr. Chipping? Which Seven Samurai character would he have been?

[@benjamintepe2030]

Excellent video 👏

[@castelodeossos3947]

Very sorry, old boy, it's not an 'omnipresent narrator', since he is absent for almost the whole film -- it's called an omniscient narrator. And perhaps it's not 'Watanabe has to endure it himself' which is obviously so, but 'Watanabe has to endure it alone.' The young woman is also not 'an employee of his' but a colleague. They are both employees of the same employer. Good point about how we know what the people at the wake don't know, as if suddenly we've become omniscient. I do not consider the wake at all sad, however, but pure comedy. Keep up the good work, Sir.

[@ElliotCoen]

Loving the analysis videos, Thomas! I've bookmarked this to come back to later :) Do you own the Criterion Ikiru disc? I know it's not available over here on blu-ray yet. I might need to import it!

[@ThomasPollock95]

I want the Criterion for sure! Have it on BFI DVD (the print actually could be better I noticed). I'd import loads of Criterion films if they where a tad cheaper! Thanks a lot glad you are enjoying the analysis videos! Expect about 3-5 more in January!

[@bmomjian]

Small issue, but I believe it is pronounced Wata-NA-be.

[@veenasinha8161]

ANAND 1971 WAS ALSO INSPIRED FROM THIS

[@FUNexplosion32]

Daughter ?! That’s the sons wife ?!

[@MartinDelCarpio]

cool

[@ДенисФедосов-й7д]

good

[@L0REN0R2Z0RR0]

I recently heard of a homeless japanese girl, kicked out by her parents. She couldn't get a new ID because she didn't have a home, but she could not rent an appartment because she didn't have an ID. It reminded me of this movie since it shows how terrible japanese burocracy can be. It's not made for people to live freely, but to function like robots, without any flexibility or tolerance for people that don't fit the norms. Of course, this is only one aspect of Ikiru, but I don't know a single movie which pictured this better.

[@ThomasPollock95]

And what is so fascinating is how this is almost 70 years old now, and here we are in the 21st century and can see so much commonality to the socio-economic themes of this movie!

[@antoniowilson5863]

ee key rue

[@miblish5168]

If you're going to analyzr Japanese cinema, at least learn to pronounce the names correctly. It's EE-KEE-ROO.

[@masudashizue777]

At least pronounce it correctly. I-ki-ru.