About film

Blessed with timeless humanity, grace, and
heartbreaking compassion, Ikiru is one of the
most moving dramas in the history of film.
Takashi Shimura is sublimely perfect as a
melancholy civil servant who, upon learning that
he has terminal cancer, realizes he has nothing
to show for his dreary, unsatisfying life. He seeks
solace in nightlife and family, to no avail, until a
simple inspiration leads him to a final, enduring
act of public generosity. Expressing his own
thoughts about death and the universal desire
for a meaningful existence, Kurosawa infuses
this drama with social conscience and deep,
personal conviction, arriving at a conclusion
that is emotionally overwhelming and simply
unforgettable.