Ikiru

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Ikiru

Released Mar 25, 1956

2h 23m

Drama

LGBTQ+

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98%

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56 Reviews

97%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Mr. Watanabe suddenly finds that he has terminal cancer. He vows to make his final days meaningful. His attempts to communicate his anguish to his son and daughter-in-law lead only to heartbreak. Finally, inspired by an unselfish co-worker, he turns his efforts to bringing happiness to others by building a playground in a dreary slum neighborhood. When the park is finally completed, he is able to face death with peaceful acceptance.

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Critics Consensus

Ikiru is a well-acted and deeply moving humanist tale about a man facing his own mortality, one of legendary director Akira Kurosawa's most intimate films.

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Keith Uhlich

(All (Parentheses))

Kurosawa’s masterpiece endures, still finding new ways to scare me and speak to me after all this time. —Guest post by Kenji Fujishima

Jun 10, 2022

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Dorothy Masters

New York Daily News

[Kurosawa] is implemented with satirical brilliance and fine human interest... Lassitude in bureaucracy and skullduggery in politics are here to stay, he concedes, and only does the soul of man transcend his frailties.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 22, 2021

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Mark Chalon Smith

Los Angeles Times

It illuminates a reeling society while telling a story of deep human emotion.

Jun 12, 2020

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Calum Cooper

The People's Movies

Ikiru is such a stunning work of poignancy because it values and champions the importance of life and one’s self. That resonance has only grown in the decades since its release.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 19, 2024

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Kurosawa directs his story without resorting to sentiment or rousing scenes of inspirational drama and Shimura delivers a quiet, introspective performance. It’s a beautiful, touching film...

Jul 1, 2023

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Howard Waldstein

CBR

Ikiru is a rare, potent film that earns every moment. Even with its carpe diem messaging, it does away with schmaltz and looks very seriously at the contradictions of earning a living, versus making a life.

Jun 27, 2023

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Tom F

Much stronger than the lazy 2023 English remake. I absolutely understand why movies like this and Tokyo Story are beloved by film buffs. It just doesn’t register that hard for me.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/17/24

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Alec B

Yes its deeply moving and beautifully filmed but it's also worth mentioning what an incisive and continually relevant critique of bureaucratic cowardice this movie is

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/24

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Merick H

A masterpiece from one of the greatest directors of all time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/10/24

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A R

The 'what would you do if you only had X amount of time to live?' trope is pretty tired at this point, but Ikiru takes an incredibly inventive approach and has beautiful performances and excellent cinematography to bolster it. The third act in particular could've been skipped altogether, but does a great job engaging the audience further - sure you think you would change how you live, but would you really? It goes without saying that Shimura crushed this role - his consistently deflated expression holds so multitudes and it's genuinely hard to look at it. He was so pitiful it made me mad - I did not want to see his face anymore. I'm particularly fond of the scene where he goes to the parks department and just sits there making everyone uncomfortable with his tragic face. I also loved Odagiri's performance - she's such a real person despite a character archetype that often feels unreal, undeveloped, and fantastical (obviously the writing takes some credit for this as well).

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/23/23

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Mikey H

This film was so incredible. I resonated with that ending on a spiritual level. Easily my favorite from Kurosawa.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/12/23

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Matteo P

Those are the kind of movies which change your life. A masterpiece.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/17/23

Full Review

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Akira Kurosawa

Director

Takashi Shimura

Kanji Watanabe (Chief of Citizen's Section)

Miki Odagiri

Toyo Odagiri

Kyôko Seki

Kazue Watanabe, Mitsuo's wife

Sojiro Motoki

Producer

Akira Kurosawa

Screenwriter

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Synopsis

Mr. Watanabe suddenly finds that he has terminal cancer. He vows to make his final days meaningful. His attempts to communicate his anguish to his son and daughter-in-law lead only to heartbreak. Finally, inspired by an unselfish co-worker, he turns his efforts to bringing happiness to others by building a playground in a dreary slum neighborhood. When the park is finally completed, he is able to face death with peaceful acceptance.

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Producer: Sojiro Motoki
Screenwriter: Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
Distributor: Brandon Films Inc., Cowboy Pictures
Production Co: Toho Company Ltd.
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 25, 1956, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 27, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $55.2K
Runtime: 2h 23m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Academy (1.33:1)

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