Living is a remake of Akira
Kurosawa'sIkiru, itself his homage
to Tolstoy's novella The Death of Ivan
Ilyich. The screenplay is by Kazuo
Ishiguro, who may be the perfect person for the job - born in Japan, raised in
Britain, Nobel laureate in literature. The movie stays faithful to the original
(some scenes almost frame for frame) while at the same time providing a more
contemporary time, place, and English language (with the run time decreased
from 143 to 102 minutes) all combining to provide a greater accessibility for
many today.
The
protagonist, Mr. Williams (Bill Nighy), is the long-standing director of the
bureaucratic Public Works Department in post-WWII London. When given a terminal
prognosis he starts asking the big questions of life, quickly finding out that
not only does he not know the answers but is struggling to phrase the proper
questions.
After
a brief time trying to find his answers through a night on the town, Williams
befriends a former Public Works employee, a bright and vivacious young lady
who, journeying with him, leads him to the threshold of what he is looking for.
The film remains loyal to one of Kurosawa's most acclaimed devices when, after
his funeral, we are told the rest of Williams' journey to find himself as his
co-workers share their memories, piecing together the final few weeks of his
life.
