Ikuru vs The Sunset Limited

 

 

 

 "The world is basically a forced labor camp, from which the workers, perfectly innocent, are led forth by lottery, a few each day, to be executed." ~ "White," The Sunset Limited

 

 

 

 "Life is so short / Fall in love dear maiden / While your lips are still red / And before you are cold / For there will be no tomorrow." ~ "Kanji," Iruku

 

 

 

I had the (for lack of a more appropriate word) pleasure of watching a couple of movies recommended by my therapist this last week. The fact that this will be the last week of our sessions made the common theme of these movies that much more poignant. Both movies deal with the subject of man's search for meaning and fulfillment in a world of suffering, impermanence and death. 

Although they each approach the questions "to be or not to be" (and if so, why or why not) from different angles, both films present the viewer with this polemic. Of the two, The Sunset Limited seems to be the more honest because it doesn't draw any conclusions. Two men in a room argue over the inherent value of life, one a world-weary atheist "Professor of Darkness," bent on suicide, the other a Christian, whose simple faith sustains him in the less than desirable circumstances of his tenement life.  It is a baldly frank Black and White discussion between two opposing viewpoints, which ends in an uncathartic stalemate.

Ikuru comes off a bit of a preachy by comparison. It is a well-crafted story, and is arguably the more entertaining of the two films because it takes the viewer on a journey, rather than just putting two people in a room and letting them duke it out intellectually. In the end, however, its bias is obvious. The message couldn't be more clear: "Life, however fraught with tribulation or apparent meaninglessness, is definitely worth living, and here's why." 

Ikuru has notes of "It's A Wonderful Life" or "Scrooge" as it lets you simmer in the pot of existential angst awhile, until you are well-seasoned, then plucks you out before you wind up overcooked. It is ultimately a life-affirming, feel-good film that takes the long route, visiting many points of pathos-inducing sadness and disquieting discomfort along the way. Though it is more subtle than those other two movies I referenced, it is still a fable, a cautionary tale with a moral, a teaching device designed to bring you to a predetermined conclusion. 

I liked both films but was not ultimately budged by either. Nothing seems to do that anymore. Whether that is due to my self-limiting myopic view of the world, or  some biological function in which I am deficient, nothing seems to move me viscerally these days, not to the fault of either film. The Sunset Limited's lack of a tidy conclusion was unsatisfying (kind of like life). One really does wish for a happy ending, but Ikuru's obvious nudges, prodding one down the path of positivity, felt a little pedantic, and its sweet and sour marinade had a slightly saccharine finish for me. Your tastes may vary.

In any case, I'm not trying to pit these two movies against one another and pick a winner. What would give anyone the idea that should I have to do anything with either of them, other than just watch them and be entertained by them? They both make valid points in their own way and are worth watching for their own intrinsic value.

There's my crummy movie review, boss. It could use a re-write or three, I know. I fail to give examples or flesh out any details from the storyline of either movie. I'd give it a C- for content and, as always, I'll leave the grading of grammar and usage to the professionals. And for anything I have written, will write or am currently writing, the following statement holds true: If you don't like it, check back in 5 minutes; it may be completely different. I tweak on these stupid posts all the time, creating my own little Mandela effect ripples throughout the body of my work. 

As my viewpoint evolves (or devolves) over time, I am certain to see things differently. But this isn't usually the reason I'll go back and do an edit. I like to preserve the integrity of the original thought, so I rarely edit for content. More likely, I am just unsatisfied with the original language, punctuation or layout, and I will go back and word things differently for clarity, to make it read more easily. Oh, and I usually add pictures after the fact, as well, leaving some as generic placeholders to be replaced at a later date. 

Blah-bitty blah blah.