Ikiru

 Akira Kurosawa's "Ikiru"

I'm not sure what I expected when I sat down to watch Akira Kurosawa's 1952 film "Ikiru." I knew the basic plot of the film - a bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life when it is revealed that he is dying of stomach cancer. I imagined a film in which this man reconnects with his family, figures out why his life has value, and dies with his outlook changed and molded. However, the film is received was entirely different than the one I had imaged.

Sure, the bureaucrat is able to attain some sense of peace about his death, but it is through a means that perhaps differs from my Western perspective. Because of my Western upbringing and perspective, I tend to think about things more individually. If I were to receive news upon my imminent death, I would do things that would replenish my own individual desires and expectations. I would, as I stated before, reconnect with my family and find some peace within myself. Sure, our bureaucrat, Mr. Watanabe, begins the film by going out drinking and spending a night engaging in debauchery. He attempts to satisfy himself sensationally or materialistically. However, this does not satisfy him. Rather, the thing that satisfies him in the end and provides his life meaning is by cutting the corners of a tightly-bureaucratic Japanese government in order to build a park for the community. This sense of peace seems far more associated with an Eastern/collectivist perspective. The simple act of using your own life as a means for others is a powerful sentiment that I'm embarrassed to say took me by surprise. 

I did find the bleaker elements of the film enlightening, as well. Many of the men at Mr. Watanabe's funeral seemed determined to take in the moment and use it as ignition to change their life and perspective going forward. However, the very next day at the office, they do not. Instead, they adhere to the same old bureaucratic way of living, shoving others to the side and not caring that they are cogs in a machine that doesn't even function properly. The sad truth is that peace must be found within, as Mr. Watanabe found. After his diagnosis, Mr. Watanabe attempting to satisfy himself through various methods. However, in the end, he decided for himself what his life meant. He chose what his life would be used for. For us, we cannot walk away from the film and use the film's philosophy to anchor our own life. Rather, we must decide for ourselves what our life means and what it should be used for.