10 Saddest Character Deaths In Movie History

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One of Steven Spielberg's favourite movies, Ikiru tells the story of middle-aged bureaucrat Mr. Watanabe (played by Kurosawa regular Takashi Shimura) who discovers he has stomach cancer, following his travails as he comes to terms with him imminent death and, more significantly, the worthiness of the life he has led. After hitting the booze and wallowing in post-war Tokyo's seedy nightlife, Watanabe's self-destructive impulses are squashed when he meets a young woman with a vest for life.

What sets Ikiru apart from other movies about illness and death is how Kurosawa positions Watanabe's passing in the centre of the film, allowing the narrative to explore the way in which others examine the lives of those they have lost and see it for what it was truly worth. By reflecting on Watanabe's life through this prism, Kurosawa elevates the concept of mortality towards something we can all identify with.

With this broad picture painted by the film's conclusion, Kurosawa takes us back to Watanabe's final moments sat alone on a swing as snow gently falls through the night; one of the most melancholic and at the same time oddy beautiful moments in cinema history.