Message from spadilla

[Anonymous]

About a year ago, I viewed an interesting Japanese movie at an independent movie theater that would be appropriate to show in the high school classroom for a purposeful discussion. It was an old movie probably filmed in mid 60s, but is the kind of movie that makes an impression on the viewer and would be reflected upon when the viewer finds himself in a similar situation.

“IKIRU” meaning “To Live,” (director: Akira Kurosawa; starring: Takashi Shimura) is a somber but warm movie that touches the audience’s emotions about human motivation.

The story takes place in the mid 1950s, post WWII Japan. The movie depicts a man who works as a city employee, leads a boring life, and has a repetitive bureaucratic job that doesn’t bring any motivation to his life, and especially after his wife dies. One day, he finds out that he has only a few months left to live his life. After he overcomes his initial depression, he becomes constructive and feels the need to accomplish something meaningful before he dies. His actions influence many people’s perceptions and passions. However, after his death, people, who were moved by his action, get back to the same old bureaucratic way of life fulfilling their responsibilities minimally. Most Hollywood movies please the audience with a happy ending. What I liked about Kurosawa’s however, is that he goes beyond the happy ending into a more realistic circumstance about how one’s life might affect others.

There were many sad, funny, annoying and touching scenes that were intertwined in human emotion. How each person deals with their own situation was interesting. Even though it was a Japanese movie using an entirely Japanese cast, the plot, depicting the reality of human nature, enables the audience to transcend their own cultural and racial awareness.

Overall, the movie is very well made with a strong emotional presentation. I recommend this movie for higher-grade multicultural students.

S.P