Ikiru (1956)

Warning: Spoilers ahead

“What are things you’d like to do before you die?” A common question we’ve all heard countless times, but it begs a complicated answer. Some people have a bucket list, others have one or two goals, or some just want to survive. In Living, the protagonist Mr. Williams, played by Bill Nighy (Love Actually, Page 8, About Time) is one of those who wants to survive. The real question throughout the film is: “What does it really mean to live?” The answer is weaved throughout and turns out this answer is less complicated than a long bucket list.

As described in a variety article, Nobel Prize-winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro one day approached Bill Nighy on playing the lead role in a screenplay he was writing based on Akira Kurosawa’s film Ikiru (meaning “To Live”). This time, Ishiguro wanted the story to be in Britain, post World War II. Directed by Oliver Hermanus (Beauty, Shirley Adams), the film is in the same vein as Kurosawa’s, but the most interesting contrast between the classic and this new film, are the cultural differences and how those can shape our perception of living in the world.