Reflections on “Living” (2022)
Directed by Oliver Hermanus
Written by Kazuo Ishiguro
(Based on “Ikiru” by Akiro Kurosawa,
which was in turn based on Tolstoy’s “The Death of
Ivan Ilyich”)
Starring Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood and Alex Sharp
Mr
Rodney Williams is a bureaucrat in charge of the Public Works department of
London County Council in 1953. He leads a somewhat robotic, passionless and
unfulfilled existence, unaware of or having forgotten the possibilities of an
alternative life. Life for Mr Williams and his work colleagues is rather taken
for granted and its potential is wasted as opportunities are allowed to escape
them or slip through their fingers.
Mr
Williams’ colleagues, of varying ages and temperaments, all display the
contagious effects of peer pressure and conformity, and are succumbing to the
reassurance of security and habit at the expense of personal dynamism and
fulfilment. Only Miss Margaret Harris displays enough gumption to show
character and seek change, though we will see that she experiences similar
issues in her next position as well. Mr Wakeling is the keen young innocent
through whose eyes we witness this claustrophobic and mind-numbing situation,
and he offers hope in terms of humanity and youthful optimism, though we see
through the example of the others just how easily he may eventually be worn
down to become a shell of a man devoted to administrative competence.
Mr
Williams in particular has become a creature of unquestioning conformity and
habit. He lacks energy and is numbed by the repetitive relative inconsequence
of his life as he fulfils an administrative rather than active role within
society without truly considering what he wants from life or how to make the
most of the life he has.
That
is, until the moment he is told his life is coming to an end and he realises
that possibilities for the future are limited and, indeed, that the future
itself will soon be no more. Perhaps like most of us, he thought he had plenty
of time to do things later while he focused on issues in the present.
He
struggles to share his news with his son. Although they live in the same house
and they care for and respect one another, each finds it difficult to open up
and share inner feelings and thoughts. Just as Mr Williams has played a role in
his office, so he appears to have played the part of a caring father but has
failed to bond emotionally and share his thoughts, dreams and fears with his
son, perhaps because the daily grind and constant repetition have overwhelmed
him and left him a conditioned shadow of himself, unable to bridge the
emotional gap between himself and his son.
As
a result of this distance between them, Mr Williams sees news of his impending
demise as bothersome and a burden to his son, further suggesting that while he may
have played the practical role of father perfectly efficiently, he has failed
to commit and engage emotionally with the role.
This
distance and difficulty with engagement may also be viewed as an element of a
broader “game of manners” in English society at that time. An emphasis on
politeness, etiquette and formality, combined with emotional reticence, a
refusal to reveal inner thoughts and display feelings, and an insistence on
self-control may have led to stunted emotional growth and may even have
contributed to a lack of self-fulfilment both personally and professionally.
This is beautifully observed throughout the film but especially in the
interactions between Mr Williams and his colleagues, as well as with his son.
This is also a theme common to a number of Mr Ishiguro’s works.
Upon
consideration of his rapidly upcoming fate, Mr Williams decides to have some
fun and he heads to a seaside town for that purpose. He also contemplates
taking his own life while there, though in the end he realises he doesn’t have
it in him to go through with it.
Despite
striking up a friendship with a local free-spirited young writer, he comes to
realise he doesn’t really have it in him to have fun either. Ultimately, it
seems he is seeking some kind of fulfilment and these “fun” activities do not
provide the gratification or contentment he craves.
He
next develops a friendship with Miss Harris whose zest for life he finds
admirable and he hopes she will be able to inspire a similar dynamism in him. He
sees what he has become and remembers fondly his childhood days full of life
and full of hope, and he comes to see that the fulfilment he seeks must come
from within him. Miss Harris does, however, offer an essential and very
pertinent piece of advice, that he should return to work.
At
work, he recalls a project to do with the construction of a children’s playground
that has been stuck in bureaucratic limbo for months and that inspires hope and
a sense of purpose in him. He sets out to ensure this playground will be
erected on a derelict site – a place where children can have fun, develop social
contact and escape the drudgery of post-war life. It is also a place that will
become the focus of the remainder of his life and will, indeed, become his legacy.
He wishes to leave behind something positive, something worthwhile which will
be a source of pleasure, fun and hope for years to come and he overcomes
physical and human obstacles to ensure its completion. It will also stand as a
testament to what can be achieved through positivity, determination and purpose
as opposed to simply allowing life to slip through your fingers and leaving the
Earth with no sense of fulfilment.
Mr
Williams’ actions inspire his colleagues who come to admire his spirit and
determination to achieve something in spite of red tape and bureaucratic
resistance, and they vow to follow his example. However, shortly afterward we
see once again that the daily grind, social pressure and lack of leadership and
inspiration take their toll and these colleagues once again fall into a
blinkered and self-absorbed outlook, though hope for change survives in the
shape of Miss Harris and Mr Wakeling.
This
is a film that entreats us to appreciate life and its possibilities, and to do
something we consider of worth, contributing to and nurturing, if possible, the
lives of others with our time here on Earth. It is a slow-burn character piece
that engages and builds nicely to a touching and inspiring conclusion. The
design and costumes are brilliantly evocative of the period while the script captures
the language and tone of the era, as well as fleshing out the characters
beautifully. The performances are affecting all round, though Bill Nighy
deserves special praise for his highly engaging tour de force.
My
thanks for taking the time to read this article. I hope you found it of some
value.
Stuart
Fernie (stuartfernie@yahoo.co.uk)
