A bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer.A bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer.A bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer.
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 6 wins & 2 nominations total
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen Takashi Shimura rehearsed his singing of "Song of the Gondola," director Akira Kurosawa instructed him to "sing the song as if you are a stranger in a world where nobody believes you exist."
- GoofsWhen Kanji and the Novelist go to a busy, loud nightclub, the film has been reversed as evidenced by the backwards "Nippon Beer" banner in the background.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Siskel & Ebert 500th Anniversary Special (1989)
- SoundtracksJ'ai Deux Amours
(uncredited)
Music by Vincent Scotto
Lyrics by Georges Koger and Henri Varna
Performed by Josephine Baker
[Played when entering the bar with the long-faced man]
Featured review
This film touched me in a way no other film has. Filmed in black and white and gorgeous, both in the visuals and in how the story unfolds. Behold the clever manner of gradually unfolding the story as people jog each other's memories at his funeral (an obligation for them, that gradually turns into a real eulogy). Everything is told in flashbacks: the mourners' memories unfold naturally, as people remember what the man did and struggle to comprehend why.
This film I would nominate for the golden five of the century!
I first saw it in 1956 or so at a small theater in downtown Chicago. A second viewing, years later, confirmed my initial pleasure!
This film I would nominate for the golden five of the century!
I first saw it in 1956 or so at a small theater in downtown Chicago. A second viewing, years later, confirmed my initial pleasure!
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $60,239
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,149
- Dec 29, 2002
- Gross worldwide
- $108,539
- Runtime2 hours 23 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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