The Umbrella Scene in Ikiru

Spoilers, I suppose …

Let me tell you about the best scene in Kurosawa’s Ikiru. It is a scene only a few seconds long, has no dialogue, but is a scene that perfectly encapsulates the entire point of the movie; of its message about people’s unwillingness to step out of line, and of the reasons why people are reluctant to do so.

It is a scene that shows clearly class divisions, and in that beautiful sentimentality of Kurosawa’s, has a sharp dig at the middle class office workers. For in this scene, it is the working woman who is willing to get her feet wet, not the council workers who are supposed to serve the public.

But there is a third class in this scene, and that is the protagonist Watanabe himself. He exists outside of class, as he does for most of the movie. He is breaking form and choosing to serve the public. He is liberated from the constraints that cause and nurture apathy, and because of that, he too can get his feet wet.

Umbrella Scene

The story of the move concerns a flooded area in the slum area of town. Reading synopses of the film online, few actually mention that the women who are trying get the flooded area sorted are lower class. It is clear from their dress, and from the fact they have flooding in their area in the first place. And this is integral to the film’s reading. These women are overlooked and ignored. The system that is supposed to serve them fails them.

The umbrella scene has Watanabe standing at the flooded site in the pouring rain. Two of his co-workers and some local women are with him. They all hold umbrellas except for Watanabe.

Watanabe is at first being sheltered by the umbrellas, but as he looks around the site, he steps forward into the rain.

His co-workers look like they don’t want to be there. They have have been increasingly confused by Watanabe’s behaviour. As Watanabe steps forward, they step forward with their umbrella’s to keep him sheltered.

Watanabe steps forward again, and again his co-workers move forward, but Watanabe continues to walk, and he walks out into the stagnant water. At this point his co-workers stop and leave Watanabe to walk alone.

Immediately, one of the local women runs out into the water and holds an umbrella over his head.

Not only does this scene show what public service is supposed to look like, it also shows which people truly recognise Watanabe’s work. It is the lower class women who understand what Watanabe is doing, and they are grateful for his efforts.

This point is later amplified at Watanabe’s funeral when the sobbing of the local women upsets the Deputy Mayor after he took credit for Watanabe’s work. The point made is that although opportunists will take credit for other people's work, the uncomfortable truths are usually hard to conceal. The local women aren't fooled by political spin.

But the scene also shows how Watanabe doesn’t care about accolade. As the movie makes clear, he doesn’t do it for reward, he does it because he should.

And that is everything you need to know about that film.

Over and out for now, guys!

xxx