Living – 7

A fairly literal relocation of Ikiru, by Akira Kurosawa, from Tokyo to London, with the estimable Bill Nighy playing the role created by the incomparable Takashi Shimura. As I watched, all I could see were the echoes of the Japanese original (somewhat like seeing David Copperfield as I read Demon Copperhead). By cutting 40 minutes from its source, the English movie loses texture and context: Mr. Williams’s tortured relationship with his son and daughter-in-law is among the losses. The biggest loss, however, is the devastating social satire: Ikiru commented on the Japan of 1952, when it was released. A 2022 film about England as it supposedly existed 70 years ago carries no bite. And I found it hard to believe that the mores of Tokyo and London in 1952 were so identical. In short, I found this an interesting experiment, but I can’t judge it on its own merits or lack thereof.