happy birthday to you_影评《生之欲》
关键词：Ikiru（ 生きる ），Akira Kurosawa（黑泽 明），<The death of Ivan llyich>，the power of ulnerability，whole-hearted living，courage&compassion&connection（注：Leo Tolstoy's novel 列夫 · 托尔斯泰的小说《 伊万里齐之死》，区别于同是俄国作家契科夫的《小公务员之死》，尽管2者在书名和主角的背景设置有雷同，但想表达的核心命题完全不同)
Ikiru is a movie, which calls people to reflect their status of living, about how to live/inefficiency of bureaucracy/relationship with immediate family member. For my concern, I will only concentrate on the issues of living/death, which is the core topic of human's existence.
From the view of director and screenplay writer, the protagonist Watanabe lived an unlived life, a life that is nothing but the death of passion, hope, and moral without fulfilling his own needs, until he was informed the deadline of his life by diagnosis of stomach cancer. Inspired by the novel <The death of Ivan llyich>, the writer of screenplay focused on the dramatic change of protagonist's inner world and his external actions with protagonist‘s deep sense of remaining life counting down. To engage life fully, Watanabe tried to learn how to spend his saving, accumulated through his 30 years diligent service in goverment, in his last days to maximize his fulfillment of life. After the trying of shallow pleasure, however, what brings the real change to Watanabe is the revlelation of his true feeling to the ex-colleague, Toyo Odagiri, who is a young, cute, and energetic girl with sharp power of living and, also, the key person to catalyze the spiritual awakening of Watanabe.
【The moment of change/education】
在哀求Toyo得来的最后一次约会中
Long silence between Watanabi and Toyo with background: a group of high-schoold students who are gathering for a birthday cake and a couple who lean on each other.
W(Watanabe)：散散步吧
T(Toyo)：够了，待会又会说吃这吃那
T：虽然吃你的，但是我受够了，我们也没什么好谈。。又这种表情，我觉得你有点可怕。。你为何老要跟着我。。你究竟想说什么？
W：我跟你一起很开心
T：你爱上我？我不接受
W：不，我只是。。
T：别像滴水般一滴滴地说。。你生气了？
W：不。。我自己也不知道。。不知为何老跟着你，我只知道。。。。。。。。
W：我患胃癌快死了，在这儿（用右手在桌子下指下自己的胃），你明白吗？我只能活一年半载。我知道后对你就。。对了，我小时候曾溺水，心情跟当时一样，眼前一片黑暗，怎么挣扎也抓不到东西。。只有你了。
。。。。
W：像我溺水时父母都在远处，现在想起来只会痛苦
T：但我帮不了你
W：但你是。。我看到你就觉得温暖。向我这样的木乃伊（before两人建立亲密关系之前，Toyo暗自给Watanabe起的绰号，意思是Watanabi三十年如一日的一尘不变的生活），你对我很亲切。不，因为你年轻又健康。。不，因为你。。你为何充满活力？我这木乃伊很羡慕你，我想，像你这样活多一天再死，否则就死不瞑目。我想在死前做件事。。我不知做什么，但你知道，也许你不知道。。
T：我又不是。。
W：教我，怎样才能像你？
T：我只是工作和吃饭！只是这样！
T：真的！我只是做这种东西。做这种东西像跟婴儿们成为朋友（Toyo从包里拿出自己制造的毛绒兔子，旋紧发条，Watanabi瞪大眼睛，看着兔子在桌子上一蹦一跳）。你不如也做样东西吧。
W：在市政厅能做什么？
T：不如找别的工作。。
W：。。太迟了
W：。。。。。。。。不会迟，不会没可能，在那儿也能做事，我能做，我也能的。。（背景：一群学生齐声欢唱：Happy birthday to you～happy birthday to you~~happy birthday~happy birthday..镜头中Watanabi沿着台阶，喃喃自语，向下走出画面；真正的生日主人向上进入画面，是一个女生提着裙子，迎着众人的生日歌，匆匆步上台阶的背影；而Toyo目送Watanabi，随后愣愣地坐下，一脸震惊和严肃）
The moment of a group of students' singing <Happy birthday to you> is a metaphor of Watanabe's re-birth.
After that moment, Watanabi stopped long-time leave and went back to officie to start his journey of redemption, which was described in detail as well as with many specific and touching examples in the 守灵夜 by the multiples colleagues from various departments. Finally, Watanabi, with the helps of other department officials, did build a public park to solve the complaints of community, although he nearly burned out himself during the progress.
The supposed climax of movie is the ending part when the every officials to whom Watanabi connected in his last days gathered in Watanabi's 守灵夜 and tried to understand the true motivation behind the abnormal and crazy actions of Watanabi, compared to his style before. In the end, they figured out the facts of Watanabe's knowing his few days left, and, due to the reason, his great willingness and courage to overcome the obstacles from each departments, incudling deputy mayor, his supervisor. In addition, to deepen the topic, the movie emphasized the last moment of Watanabe, when he stayed in the park he built in a snowy night, singing a song called Gondola no Uta (Notes: The lyrics of the song are presented as the advice of an experienced individual to younger souls regarding the fleeting nature of youth and the caution against missing the opportunities of youth when they are available and before they have passed with growing age. See details in appendix 1)
Watching the movie, I resonate with the great grief and regret of the protagonist. As a result, I am schoked that my living status was so poor that I feel I was like a mummy or dead in the past 2-3 years. I want to change myself and celebrate the birthday of my soul besides the birthday of my biological body.
appendix 1 ゴンドラの唄
いのち短し 恋せよ少女 朱き唇 褪せぬ間に 熱き血潮の 冷えぬ間に 明日の月日の ないものを
いのち短し 恋せよ少女 いざ手をとりて 彼の舟に いざ燃ゆる頬を 君が頬に ここには誰れも 来ぬものを
いのち短し 恋せよ少女 波に漂う 舟の様に 君が柔手を 我が肩に ここには人目も 無いものを
いのち短し 恋せよ少女 黒髪の色 褪せぬ間に 心のほのお 消えぬ間に 今日はふたたび 来ぬものを
Gondola no Uta
life is brief. fall in love, maidens before the crimson bloom fades from your lips before the tides of passion cool within you, for those of you who know no tomorrow
life is brief fall in love, maidens before his hands take up his boat before the flush of his cheeks fades for those of you who will never return here
life is brief fall in love, maidens before the boat drifts away on the waves before the hand resting on your shoulder becomes frail for those who will never be seen here again
life is brief fall in love, maidens before the raven tresses begin to fade before the flame in your hearts flicker and die for those to whom today will never return
