Question 1

What inspired the script for Ikiru?

Accepted Answer

The script was partly inspired by Lev Tolstoy's novella 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich.' Major themes include learning how to live, bureaucratic inefficiency, and decaying family life in Japan.

Question 2

What unusual direction did Akira Kurosawa give Takashi Shimura for his singing scene?

Accepted Answer

Kurosawa instructed Shimura to 'sing the song as if you are a stranger in a world where nobody believes you exist' when rehearsing 'Song of the Gondola.'

Question 3

What is the significance of the song Kanji Watanabe sings in the bar?

Accepted Answer

He sings 'Gondola no Uta' ('The Gondola Song'), written in 1915, which is about women finding love before their time runs out.

Question 4

What was the film's original title before it became Ikiru?

Accepted Answer

The original title was 'Watanabe Kanji no Shougai,' translating to 'The Life of Kanji Watanabe,' but Kurosawa suggested changing it to Ikiru ('To Live').

Question 5

Which major film festival featured Ikiru in 1954?

Accepted Answer

It was featured at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1954.

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Ikiru

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