Ikiru (Criterion Collection)

In this thoughtful and heart-wrenching drama from Akira Kurosawa, an ineffectual bureaucrat (Takashi Shimura) engaged in empty, soul-numbing office work finds his life turned upside down with a shocking diagnosis of terminal cancer. Seeking the meaning of his existence, the doomed man first pursues hedonistic escapes from his sorrows--and then locates true fulfillment in a humble and unexpected pursuit. With Shin'ichi Himori, Haruo Tanaka. 143 min. Standard; Soundtrack: Japanese mono; Subtitles: English; audio commentary; documentaries; theatrical trailer. In Japanese with English subtitles.