We just watched a great movie about cancer

How anyone seen the movie IKIRU.  It was a Japanese movie from 1952 directed by Akira Kurosawa about a government worker who gets incurable stomach cancer and decides to change his life before he dies.

It's a very beautiful and disturbing film.  I saw it about 30 years ago when I was in college but of course I understand it on a much deeper level now. 

To be honest, I was stunned when it was over.  It's a bit on the dark side but it ends on a very haunting image of how you can find peace within yourself even in the face of death.

 

Thanks, John. I'll have to check it out.

It's available on Hulu:


www.hulu.com/watch/215850/

Yes, I remember Red Beard. I saw so many Kurosawa movies back in the 80s but I haven't seen Ikiru since the late 70s.

I heard that Seven Samurai is Stephen Spielberg's favorite movie of all time. Deservedly so, I think.

(Warning, moderate spoiler)

Ikuri is very slow moving and long, and is subtitled, but if you can have patience with it, the entire last 45 minutes is a brilliant extended sequence about the main character's final 3 months seen in retrospect by his co-workers and it is very powerful and moving.

There's a brilliant scene where W, the man dying of cancer, a government section chief for the Department of Parks, has to stand up to a gangster who is engaged in corruption with the deputy mayor. The gangster can't believe that W is haivng the balls to defy him and he says to him, "Don't you realize your risking your life?" And W stares back at him with this look of total defiance. It's the face of a man who has nothing to lose and can face anything, even death. It's an extraordinary moment.

Some people found this movie to be very dark and pessimistic but I find it very inspiring and life affirming. I can't say why without giving away the ending.