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I Live in Fear (Ikimono no kiroku) (1955)

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 2
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 1

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76

liked it
Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 585

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Movie Info

As Akira Kurosawa's I LIVE IN FEAR begins, Harada (Takashi Shimura), a soft-spoken dentist, is summoned during a hot summer day to his volunteer position at the Tokyo Family Court. He dutifully responds and arrives to hear a family dispute in a sweltering court room. However, the case is far from clear-cut; it involves Nakajima (Toshir Mifune), a rich elderly industrialist who is utterly convinced that his family will only be safe from the threat of the nuclear bomb by moving to Brazil. His

Unrated, 1 hr. 53 min.

Drama

Hideo Oguni, Shinobu Hashimoto, Akira Kurosawa

All Critics (12) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (8) | Rotten (3) | DVD (5)

I feel sure that Mr. Kurosawa could have come up with a more constructive thought on how people should use their energies to pacifistic purpose than the negative one he gives us here.

May 9, 2005 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A compelling look at postwar Japan as well as the onset of Cold War paranoia.

April 10, 2003 Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | Comment
Dallas Morning News
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A rough adaptation of King Lear, just as was "Ran" that Kurosawa made 30 years later. Not without its problems, but any Kurosawa is better than the Cineplex crap in your local neighborhood.

September 2, 2010 Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | Comment
rec.arts.movies.reviews

Akira Kurosawa's social x-raying is a continuation of Ikiru

September 6, 2009 Full Review Source: CinePassion | Comment
CinePassion

Mifune was miscast.

April 11, 2003 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | Comment
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

I Live in Fear shows that Kurosawa is far from content with humanity, but that doesn't mean he's given up hope entirely.

August 7, 2002 Full Review Source: MovieMartyr.com | Comment
MovieMartyr.com

Perhaps a bit too loose and leisurely to be entirely effective.

May 30, 2001 Full Review Source: AV Club | Comment (1)
AV Club
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for I Live in Fear (Ikimono no kiroku)

I live in fear is not typical of Kurosawa's work but it is probably one of his most important films. A reaction to and a social commentary on Hiroshima, a subject avoided at the time, Kurosawa opened up Japan's usual conservative attitude and lead debate on societies fear and anxiety and in doing so built bridges of

October 23, 2009
SirPant

Super Reviewer

this is a very profound film. mifune nails his portrayal of an old man losing his grip, and you see that he doesnt genuinely go crazy because of the reasons his family thinks he's crazy, he goes crazy because of his family themselves. shimura's character was great and even underused, and he is the character with the

May 25, 2008
sanjurosamurai
danny d

Super Reviewer

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Foreign Titles

  • Ikimono no kiroku - Ein Leben In Furcht (DE)
  • Vivre dans la peur (FR)
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