There’s absolutely nothing that Hollywood loves more than reboots, remakes, and reimaginings. In an era where intellectual property is the key to studios’ success, producers are often keen to rework popular classics for an audience of a different generation.Oliver Hermanus’new filmLivingdraws from one of the most beloved films of all-time:Akira Kurosawa’sIkiru. The 1952 classic starsTakashi Shimuraas an older man coping with his impending death.Ikiruis widely considered to be one of the pinnacle achievements of Kurosawa’s career, and was recently included on theSight & Sounddirectors poll of the 100 greatest films of all-time.
Livingexplores a similar story, but it takes place in London during the 1950s.Bill Nighygives a career-defining performance as Mr. Williams, an aging working man whose illness causes him to begin living life to its fullest once more. Determined to be remembered past his death, Mr. Williams begins talking with young people, and taking on new experiences during the last days of his life. While it’s a heartbreaking film,Livingis empowering in how it celebrates autonomy. Nighy is widely considered to be among the front runners for this year’s Academy Award race for Best Actor, as he’s shockingly never been nominated previously.
There’s an inherent danger with any remake, particularly one that adapts a story that was originally intended for audiences of a different country. English-language remakes of international films often go horribly awry;Spike Lee’s remake ofPark Chan-woo’sOldboywas a laughable attempt at pulling off the original film’s impact, and the live-action reimagining ofGhost in the Shellattracted controversy over its whitewashing of the original source material. However,Livingisn’t a story that belongs to just one culture; like many Kurosawa classics, it speaks to a universal message that is comparable to mythology. The power of Kurosawa’s classic films have inspired English-language filmmakers for decades, and the ramifications of his influence can still be felt today.
Why ‘Living’ Works
As evidenced by Disney’s live-action remakes of animated classics, there’s simply no creative point to recreating something shot-for-shot. If something is already iconic, seeing it again has no staying power. However,Livingdoesn’t attempt to recreate every single moment fromIkiru. It’s actually a much tighter story;Livingis just over 102 minutes, whileIkiruis almost two and a half hours long.Livingactually gets back to the source material;Ikiruwas originally inspired by the classic Russian novelThe Death of Ivan IlyichbyLeo Tolstoy.The Death of Ivan Illyichis taught in schools to this day because of its ability to pack so much thematic resonance within a tight page count.
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While a remake likeGhost in the Shellis rightfully accused of cultural appropriation,Livingdoes not attempt to reimagine any of the traditions surrounding death and the afterlife that are specific to Japanese culture. Death, illness, and the elderly are treated differently in the British culture of the 1950s, andLivingis intertwined with moments specific to Mr. Williams’ worldview.Ikiruis praised for its celebration of the Japanese way-of-life, and there are similar homages to London’s culture inLiving. There’s a particularly amusing scene where Mr. Williams takes a break from his working life to go to a rowdy bar and sing karaoke.
However,Livinghas a similar value to English-speaking audiences asIkirudid for the Japanese film community. Similar to how Takashi Shimura was given the role of his career, Nighy takes the rare chance to play the lead. He’s easily one of the best character actors of the last several decades, but it’s rare to see him as the definitive leading man. While the film shows a similarity to its predecessor with the way that Mr. Williams gives back to his community, it’s taken in a different direction as he escapes his dehumanizing daily routine as an accountant to contribute to a local park bench.
Livingalso benefits from gorgeous production design that serves as an alternate, but not a rebuff, ofIkiru. WhileIkiruwas contemporary at the time of its release,Livingis a period piece that reimagines the 1950s from a reflective point-of-view. The intentionality is clear; it underscores the parallels between the two nations in the aftermath of World War II. Both countries are healing, andLivingshows how similar they really are. It’s a work of empathy. This is seen in the similar final moments of Mr. Williams on a swing, which tastefully reinterprets the similarly iconic moment inIkiru.
A History Of Influence
Ikiruis among the best, but certainly not the first English-language remake of a Kurosawa classic. In the 1960s, filmmakers realized that Kurosawa’s samurai films could be easily reworked into Westerns. The result was some of the best Westerns of all-time, as these English-language remakes took on totally different tones.Yojimbo, Kuroswa’s elegant action classic, was remade into the outrageous spaghetti westernDjango, which birthed a franchise.
Among the most popular of Kurosawa’s films isSeven Samurai, which is widely considered to be his masterpiece, and was recently ranked 20th on theSight and Soundcritics poll of the greatest films ever made. Famously,Seven Samuraiwas remade in 1960 asThe Magnificent Seven, one of the most enjoyable adventure films of the era. WhileSeven Samuraiis an epic that contemplates the nature of heroism,The Magnificent Sevenis just a playful, action-packed blast.Seven Samurai’s score fromFumio Hayasakais quite profound, butThe Magnificent Seven’s playful theme byElmer Bernsteinis iconic in its own right.The Magnificent Sevenbecame such a sensation on its own that it even inspired another remake in 2016 fromAntoine Fuqua.
Beyond these iconic favorites,Sanjuro, Stray Dog, Sanshiro Sugata, Kagemusha,andHigh and Lowhave also been remade. That’s not even considering the sheer amount of films that drew inspiration from Kurosawa’s game changing techniques.The Hidden Fortressis one of the major influences behindStar Wars, and it’s easy to traceQuentin Tarantino’s use of flashbacks toRashomon.
Kurosawa’s films are transcendent, and their remakes don’t diminish their value in any way. Hopefully, films as excellent asLivingwill inspire some younger viewers to check out some of the Kurosawa classics that they may have missed. There’s a universal power to his stories that give them value beyond any specific cultural nuances.
