To paraphrase Heidegger, confronting death can lead to a more authentic relationship with life itself. This confrontation is all too frequently forced upon the unsuspecting with a diagnosis of terminal illness that sometimes precipitates a decline that must be endured by the individual and witnessed by those closest to them.  

In Ikiru, or ‘to live’, bureaucrat Kanji (Takashi Shimura), a widower with a disinterested son, leads a life of quiet, meaningless monotony mirrored in the regulatory stagnation of the public works department in which he toils. When he is given less than a year to live, he struggles to come to terms with this harsh reality. He is inspired by a coworker to make his final months mean something and to leave a lasting mark. To that end, he works to push through the creation of a new playground.  

Kurosawa’s superb film depicts the creation of a meaningful legacy and serves as a reminder that it is the impact, ideally positive, that we have on others for which we will ultimately be remembered when the rest is silence.

Notes by Kevin Coyne.

Screening as part of our season This Mortal Coil.