To Live

An outstanding movie. Or rather, almost. The prolog spoils it. Nothing against it in principle, it has its place and a reason here, but it really didn’t have to swell up to eighty minutes long. And here Akira feels a pressing need to impart something big, but does so too obviously and zealously. On the other hand, there is a large number of scenes that knock you off your seat. But those are just moments, not the whole movie. And not even Akira’s masterful direction or the unforgettable performance by Takashi Shimura is enough to support the immensely long running time. But for Czechs this movie has a very positive message. It shows us that even in Japan bureaucracy was just as impervious and corrupt (Kafka style) at the beginning of the fifties as ours is to this day. So at least we aren’t (or weren’t) alone in this. (07/03/2008)

Akira Kurosawa is human, but at the same time he is merciless. He is sometimes even poetic and just as literal. This results in him directing a film about an ordinary person and his ordinary life, and yet it is still an interesting film, mainly because it will feel close to you. Kurosawa is a master of long scenes, but also of capturing characters brilliantly. Here, it is very intimate and you won't find a single action scene. (11/07/2014)