Ikiru

Pros: Shimura is excellent, Philosophical and pensive screenplay
Cons: Last segment dragged a little

I’ve been digging into Akira Kurosawa’s movies a little lately, and this time it’s the turn of Ikiru. Although it was released in 1952, in between such big hits as Rashômon and Seven Samurai, Ikiru itself was not an instant ...

Pros: It's a Kurosawa film
Cons: It's a Kurosawa film without any samurai

In "Th e Royal Tenenbaums", Gene Hackman's title character is given (or says he's been given) six months to live. He takes this tragedy and turns it into an opportunity to get to know his kids again, and renew ...

Pros: everything
Cons: not a thing

The opening shot of the film Ikiru is an x-ray of a man named Watanabe's chest. Watanabe (Takashi Shimura) has gastric cancer, but doesn't know it yet. According to the narrator "He just drifts through life. In fact, he's barely alive." It is then...

Pros: Kurosawa's Direction, Script, Cinematography, Music, Editing, & Cast, notably Shimura.
Cons: A Few Minor Pacing Issues & Change of Tone in Third Act.

While Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa is predominantly known for his samurai films or films that involved samurai in old Japan. The director often adds more elements of drama to the film to renew the idea of samurai. Part of those elements have inspired ...

Pros: Important theme strongly reinforced, solid script, excellent cinematography, and very good lead performance
Cons: A bit slow and not especially emotionally involving

Ikiru was one of Akiri Kurosawa’s earlier films, being produced in 1952. Though Kurosawa was just forty-two at the time, he was already an accomplished director, having the fine film R ashômon already to ...

Pros: brilliant acting, imaginative writing, beautiful cinematography
Cons: it will not appeal to those raised on Hollywood schlock

Having seen other Akira Kurosawa films, I figured that "Ikiru" would be basically similar; like "The Seven Samurai" and "Rashomon", I expected Kuroswa's deft mix of cinematic technique, complex and engaging storyline, and...