Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru Getting A 2 Disc BFI Blu-ray Release

Akira Kurosawa needs introduction to cinephiles, his influence is felt throughout. In August, The BFI bring Ikiru, to Blu-ray for the first time in the UK, restored in 4K and presented in High Definition.

With a beautifully nuanced performance by Takashi Shimura (who starred in 21 of Kurosawa’s films) as the dying bureaucrat, Ikiru is an intensely lyrical and moving film that explores the nature of existence and how we find meaning in our lives. This classic of world cinema and of Kurosawa’s non-Samurai films, was re-made in 2022 as the Oscar-nominated Living, starring Bill Nighy.

Opening with a simple shot of an X-ray, Ikiru proceeds to tell the tale of Watanabe (Takashi Shimura), a dedicated, downtrodden civil servant now diagnosed with terminal cancer. After a bout of self-pity, he determines to change his unfulfilling existence and discover a zest for life, plunging into hedonistic pleasure-seeking on the frenetic streets of post-war Tokyo. But Watanabe is soon driven to give lasting meaning to his life, and lights upon a plan to construct an urban children’s playground.

Related Post: Film Review – Living (2022)

Special features

Restored in 4K and presented in High Definition
Audio commentary by film critic Adrian Martin
Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create – Ikiru (2002, 42 mins): made as part of the Toho Masterworks series and featuring interviews with Kurosawa, script supervisor Teruyo Nogami, writer Hideo Oguni, actor Takashi Shimura and others
Introduction by Alex Cox (2003, 15 mins)
It’s Ours Whatever They Say (1972, 39 mins): a community action film by Jenny Barraclough telling of the battle fought by a group of mothers against a London council to establish a playground for children on a derelict site
The People People (1970, 22 mins): intended for school leavers, this COI film shows the vast range and variety of jobs available within the civil service, highlighting the ways in which civil servants help individuals, the community in general and Parliament
Original theatrical trailer
Image gallery

***First pressing only*** Illustrated booklet with essays by Tony Rayns and James-Masaki Ryan, a review originally published in Monthly Film Bulletin in 1959, notes on the special features and film credits

Japan / 1952 / black and white / 143 minutes / Japanese language with optional English subtitles / original aspect ratio 1.37:1 // Disc One: BD50, 1080p, 23.98fps, LPCM 1.0 mono audio (48kHz/24-bit) Disc Two: BD25, 1080i, 29.97fps, Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo audio (192kbps)

The BFI will be releasing Akira Kurosawa‘s Ikiru on a 2 Disc Blu-ray on 19th August.