Ikiru

kanji is a slave to his own life. he drifts through a monotonous routine, wasting his life away living with no purpose. after finding out he only has little time left to live he dedicates his life to finding that purpose and helping others along the way. he is hit with the realisation that we only realise how beautiful life is when we face death, and what follows is an emergence. his determination to build the park becomes this small, almost ridiculous mission that somehow turns into something bigger. the dialogue is simple but heavy, I wrote a line down I liked which was, “I can’t afford to hate people, I haven’t got that kind of time in me.” it feels like the whole film is hiding inside that one sentence, it turns his fear of death into a decision to finally live, not bitter or angry, but kind and purposeful. it’s simple but really meaningful in my opinion. by the end, the film isn’t about dying at all, but about making the most of life, living a fulfilling life, and leaving something behind, even if it’s just a patch of ground where kids can play. inspiring stuff.