Ikuro (Subtitled) (DVD)

"Sometimes I think of my death," wrote Akira Kurosawa, "I think of ceasing to be... and it is from these thoughts that Ikiru came." The story of a man diagnosed with stomach cancer, Kurosawa's film is a serious contemplation of the nature of existence and the question of how we find meaning in our lives. Opening with a shot of an x-ray, showing the main character's stomach, 'Ikiru' tells the tale of a dedicated, downtrodden civil servant who, diagnosed with a fatal cancer, learns to change his dull, unfulfilled existence, and suddely discovers a zest for life. Plunging first into self-pity, then a bout of hedonistic pleasure-seeking on the frenetic streets of post-war Tokyo, Watanabe, the film's hero, finally finds satisfaction through building a children's playground. Beautifully played by Takashi Shimura (who starred in 21 of Kurosawa's films), 'Ikiru' is an intensely lyrical and moving film, and was one of the Kurosawa's own favourites.

Introduction by Alex Cox
Biographies of Kurosawa and Takashi Shimura
Interactive menus
Scene selection