Madadayo (まあだだよ Not Yet, Japanese; 1993)
Director: Akira Kurosawa
This sombre offering is Kurosawa's swan song. Ironically, it is a comedy but the subject deals something as depressing as life after retirement, war and essentially waiting for death! If fact, the title of film is a joke often told the main character referring to his life whose time (end of it) has reached yet - not yet!
Professor Uchida (whom his students address fondly as Sinsei) is a lovable German language professor in Japan who is at the tail end of his teaching career. It is set at a time just before the second World War. After his retirement, he continues entertaining his students at his humble home sharing his own trademark jokes. The students, even after growing old continue his acquaintance. Periodically, he gather for his birthday. They even help him out when his home is raged by shell after the war.
The movie shows the cordial respect between teacher and student. Just when the student think their teacher would kick the bucket, the elder would jocularly reply, "Madayo!" - not yet.
This Kurosawa offering may not be in the same league as many of his doyens, nevertheless, it showcases the class act of a master director who could send the subtle message that all is not lost when you are old and less productive. Life is not over till it is over and life is meant to savoured, every drop of it.
The million dollar question is what is enjoying life? Is it meant to be a time to party like there is no tomorrow as they say you only live once (YOLO)? Or is it is an opportune time to immerse oneself in prayers and charity work to wash the sins of your current or previous lives so as to cajole the forces of Universe to springboard your soul up the ladder of karma or assure a 'free pass' past the purgatory?
Director: Akira KurosawaThis sombre offering is Kurosawa's swan song. Ironically, it is a comedy but the subject deals something as depressing as life after retirement, war and essentially waiting for death! If fact, the title of film is a joke often told the main character referring to his life whose time (end of it) has reached yet - not yet!
Professor Uchida (whom his students address fondly as Sinsei) is a lovable German language professor in Japan who is at the tail end of his teaching career. It is set at a time just before the second World War. After his retirement, he continues entertaining his students at his humble home sharing his own trademark jokes. The students, even after growing old continue his acquaintance. Periodically, he gather for his birthday. They even help him out when his home is raged by shell after the war.
The movie shows the cordial respect between teacher and student. Just when the student think their teacher would kick the bucket, the elder would jocularly reply, "Madayo!" - not yet.
This Kurosawa offering may not be in the same league as many of his doyens, nevertheless, it showcases the class act of a master director who could send the subtle message that all is not lost when you are old and less productive. Life is not over till it is over and life is meant to savoured, every drop of it.
The million dollar question is what is enjoying life? Is it meant to be a time to party like there is no tomorrow as they say you only live once (YOLO)? Or is it is an opportune time to immerse oneself in prayers and charity work to wash the sins of your current or previous lives so as to cajole the forces of Universe to springboard your soul up the ladder of karma or assure a 'free pass' past the purgatory?
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