Madadayo

The final film of Akira Kurosawa was not universally praised by critics and was in fact deemed sentimental and at times even mawkish. Nevertheless the striking cinematography, wonderful setting and gently observed Japanese customs and rituals make it a film worthy of consideration. “Madadayo” is the story of the educator and literary figure Hyakken Uchida, who was a hero of Kurosawa’s. The film follows Uchida’s life from his retirement at sixty and shows that he was a committed teacher adored by his students for his humour and wisdom. In the year 1943 Uchida buys a house in Tokyo, settles down with his wife and determines to work on his novel. But their home is destroyed in an Allied raid and the couple are forced to relocate to more humble surrounds. Former loyal students visit Uchida annually, assisting him in times of need and offering unfailing support. Vignettes display the progress of these relationships, in particular through birthday parties thrown in his honour each year, where the students revel in teasing him about death - to which he always replies that he is not ready yet. A spirited and thoughtful bio-pic, brimming with cultural nuances and an appealing cast including Tatsuo Matsumura, Kyoko Kagawa, Hisashi Igawa, Joji Tokoro, Masayuki Yui, Akira Terao, Asei Kobayashi, Takeshi Kusaka.