Ikiru

Kurosawa answers his film’s main question in the title. The simplicity in it is something hard, yet necessary, to accept. Shimura portrays Watanabe with a fascinating meekness. He’s often blocked in the frame to appear as invisible and insignificant as possible. By the second half of the movie, that technique reverses in meaning, making him seem unrelenting and unable to ignore. Watanabe’s happiness at the end of the film is more than earned, and is beautiful in its lack of definitiveness. He made choices many wouldn’t. The way we live is not the same despite Kurosawa’s subtle hints towards service and giving towards others. He doesn’t feel everyone must be Watanabe, nor is it so easy of a choice that everyone can make it. This is illustrated in the final scenes of his subordinates choosing to live identically to Watanabe, and quickly returning to their petty selves. Kurosawa’s ideal viewer is probably the one subordinate who, rather than make promises to others out of guilt, prayed and thought of Watanabe’s actions in those last 6 months.