A bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer.A bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer.A bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer.
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 6 wins & 2 nominations total
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen Takashi Shimura rehearsed his singing of "Song of the Gondola," director Akira Kurosawa instructed him to "sing the song as if you are a stranger in a world where nobody believes you exist."
- GoofsWhen Kanji and the Novelist go to a busy, loud nightclub, the film has been reversed as evidenced by the backwards "Nippon Beer" banner in the background.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Siskel & Ebert 500th Anniversary Special (1989)
- SoundtracksJ'ai Deux Amours
(uncredited)
Music by Vincent Scotto
Lyrics by Georges Koger and Henri Varna
Performed by Josephine Baker
[Played when entering the bar with the long-faced man]
Featured review
I can safely say that I have seen no finer film than Kurosawa's true masterpiece, Ikiru. The story of a dying petty bureaucrat in 1950's Japan, Ikiru is as uncompromisingly honest and beautiful a film as has ever been made on the subject of life. Kurosawa elevates a story that could have been simple melodrama to the level of masterwork with a genuine love of his characters, and with an incredible technical direction. The film's structure accentuates and deepens its many, many lessons on life, and the performances, including a heartbreakingly earnest turn by Shimura are all flawless.
In short, Ikiru is easily one of the greatest works committed to film, and no discerning film aficionado should avoid experiencing it. Had Kurosawa directed only this film, it would still be enough to include him in the pantheon of the greatest storytellers who ever lived. Fortunately for us, it is simply the pinnacle of a staggeringly amazing career. It is the absolute definition of a 10/10 film.
In short, Ikiru is easily one of the greatest works committed to film, and no discerning film aficionado should avoid experiencing it. Had Kurosawa directed only this film, it would still be enough to include him in the pantheon of the greatest storytellers who ever lived. Fortunately for us, it is simply the pinnacle of a staggeringly amazing career. It is the absolute definition of a 10/10 film.
- will_butler
- Oct 20, 2002
- Permalink
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $60,239
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,149
- Dec 29, 2002
- Gross worldwide
- $112,471
- Runtime2 hours 23 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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