Ikiru
Seen it?1952 | 143 min | Drama
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (98% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences adore it (8.3 out of 10) and it's still drawing plenty of interest. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. If you loved The Apartment, start here.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 23 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1952: an older pace and style.
Kanji Watanabe is a middle-aged man who has worked in the same monotonous bureaucratic position for decades. Learning he has cancer, he starts to look for the meaning of his life.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
98% on Rotten Tomatoes, 92 on Metacritic
- AudiencesVery strong
8.3 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Won 1 Berlin award: Berlin International Film Festival: Best Foreign Actor. Also nominated for 1 BAFTA. Plus 5 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$55K worldwide on a $85K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 177K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
- Takashi ShimuraKanji Watanabe
- Haruo TanakaSakai
- Nobuo KanekoMitsuo, son of Kanji
- Bokuzen HidariOhara
- Miki OdagiriToyo
- Shinichi HimoriKimura
- Minoru ChiakiNoguchi
- Minosuke YamadaSubordinate Clerk Saito
- Kamatari FujiwaraSub-Section Chief Ono
- Makoto KoboriKiichi Watanabe, Kanji's Brother