The 1952 Akira Kurosawa film Ikiru (生きる) will play in Pittsburgh on February 4 and 5.
In conjunction with the opening of the new remake, LIVING (opening at the Harris on Jan 27), we are pleased to present a big screen showing of the legendary Akira Kurosawa original. Considered by some to be Kurosawa’s greatest achievement, IKIRU presents the director at his most compassionate — affirming life through an exploration of a man’s death. Takashi Shimura portrays Kanji Watanabe, an aging bureaucrat whose diagnosis with a fatal illness forces him to strip the veneer off his existence and find meaning in his final days. Told in two parts, Ikiru offers Watanabe’s quest in the present, and then through a series of flashbacks. The result is a multifaceted look at a life through a prism of perspectives, resulting in a full portrait of a man who lacked understanding from others while alive.It plays at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map) and tickets are available online.