LIVING

UK, 2022, 102 minutes, Colour.

Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, Tom Burke, Alex Sharp, Adrian Rawlins.

Directed by Oliver Hermanus.

For this reviewer, Akira Kurosaw’s 1952 drama, Ikuru/ Living, is one of the great films. And, it is a great film about terminal illness, discovering the meaning of life, and a critique of humdrum bureaucracy. And this is true of this British remake, British interpretation of this universal story. This remake has the advantage of building on the 1952 film but with the help of Booker-prize-winning author, Kazuo Ishiguro (Remains of the Day), it has a strong literary quality as well.

This film looks very much like a film of its period, 1953, the year of the coronation. It opens with a great deal of contemporary footage of London itself, the familiar streets, the landmarks, the red double-decker buses, people going to work or shopping, the clothes of the time, the cars… It is strange to think back that this was what life looked like for so many people in England 70 years ago.

The tone is set at the local railway station, the young man, Peter (Alex Sharp) suit, tie, bowler hat, joining all the other men at the station, in the carriage, quiet, proper. And then a ritual of standing back for their boss, Mr Williams, to enter the building, then to take up their places around the desk, their piles of documentation (they call them pyramids), Mr Williams quietly sitting at the head of the table – and a glimpse of Margaret (Aimee Lou Wood), the young woman who seems rather out of place with these bureaucrats.

However, this is Mr Williams’ story. Bill Nighy received an Oscar nomination for this performance, an acknowledgement of his long and strong career. He has a distinctive presence, look, voice, but has use them in quite a variety of roles (even to pop singer in Love, Actually).

Mr Williams quietly absents himself from the office, sits stoically in his doctor’s office to hear the results of tests, only a few months to live. Mr Williams is under criticism from his daughter-in-law at home, wanting money to invest in a house, his son under the dominance of his wife. He decides not to tell them about his health. But, what is he to do? He travels quietly to Brighton, overhears a young rather Bohemian artist talking about freedoms (a cameo by Tom Burke), interrupts him and joined him for a kind of 1953s night on the town or, rather, a night at the pier. Mr Williams drinks, observes, is sick, but takes the opportunity to acknowledge his Scots ancestry and sing, so sadly, Rowan Tree.

But, he continues to absent himself from the office even though he is dressed and everybody thinks he is going, he encounters Margaret who has taken up a new job at one of the Lyons Corner Cafés. On a whim, they go for a lavish lunch at Fortnums. She actually tells him that she had a nickname for everybody in the office and that his was Mr Zombie. He is quietly bemused. But, her cheerfulness cheers him and they spend the afternoon in London, the galleries. And, there is a later encounter with her, much more dramatic, much more sad, his confiding in her and her quietly tearful response.

When Mr Williams returns to work, he has some zest, a purpose in life to help some ladies who want to build a playground on a bombsite and have been given the runaround, literally, of all the bureaucratic departments.

There is a jolt as the screenplay takes us to Mr Williams’ funeral. And wondering, at the moment, whether the projectionist has lost a real of the film. But, the device is to look back at what happened to Mr Williams, his change of heart, his work for the ladies, his standing up for them, defying the authorities, clearing the bombsite, the building of the playground. And the bureaucrats all agreeing that he had done something wonderful and that they should follow his footsteps, be like Mr Williams. (Spoiler alert, they don’t.)

Mr Williams sang Rowan Tree early in the film – and, at the end, in the snow, on a swing in the playground, he sings it again.

We share in the pathos of Mr Williams growing old in his restricted life – but rejoice in his discovering his humanity.

1. As a stand-alone film, portrait of a humourless civil servant, the 1950s, terminal illness, taking the opportunity to live and redeem himself?
2. As a remake of the Japanese classic, released in 1952, the Japanese post-war setting, the central character, bureaucrat, illness, living? The contribution of novelist, Kazuo Ishiguro?
3. The recreation of Britain, 1953, the opening credits, the film footage of the time, London, the streets, the buses, the people, clothes and fashions, cars, shops? The period of the coronation? The bureaucracy and offices, the streets, Fortnum is, Lyons Corner Cafés, Brighton, the pier, the entertainment on the pier? The bombsite for the playground? Clearing, building, the completed playground? The musical score?
4. The opening with Peter, young, going to work, the steam trains, the railway station, the civil servants in suits, bowler hats, reticent, and the train carriage, minimal conversation, deferring to Mr Williams, arriving at the office, his entering, going to the office, the seating arrangement, documentation, the pyramid of documents, the formalities of their work, the conversation, the touch of smoking, presided over by Mr Williams? And the happy presence of Margaret Harris? Her prospect of the new job?
5. The method of the various departments, their requirements, passing one onto the other, leaving the documentation in the pile, deferred? The arrival of the ladies, the complaint, Mr Williams sending Peter, the complete runaround during the day?
6. Bill Nighy as Mr Williams, his age, appearance, serious, lacking humour? Presiding over the others, deputising? Leaving early, the visit to the doctor, the prognosis? His response? Going home, overhearing his son, his daughter in law complaining about the money, sitting in the dark, wanting to speak, his son being bossed about by his wife, Mr Williams not communicating? Some moments of flashback, to his boyhood, cricket, military service? No detail about his wife?
7. Going to work the next morning, not going to work, the character of Sutherland, in the diner, his discussions about Paris, creativity? The waitress? Mr Williams interrupting, talking with Sutherland, some empathy, Sutherland taking him the rounds of the pier, the various types of entertainment, drinking, getting the rabbit a surprise, the dancing, his being sick? The pathos of his singing Rowan Tree, Scots ancestry, memories of his wife? His gratitude towards Sutherland?
8. Going to work but not arriving, wandering, the encounter with Margaret, their talking, her cheerfulness, getting her new job, going to tea at Fortnums, the conversation, Mr Zombie and his bemused response? Going to the Gallery, the afternoon? The gossip seeing them in Fortnums?
9. The gossip, talking to the daughter-in-law, her complaining to her husband, gossip in the area, the meal, the tension, the son not commenting?
10. The further meeting with Margaret, at her cafe, flat out at work, later having the tea, his confiding in her, her tearful response, going home?
11. Mr Williams returning to the office, the other men, his gathering them up, leaving Mrs Johnston in charge and her being pleased with this trust, confronting the other officials, sitting and waiting? Gathering the group, the rain, the going out to the bombsite?
12. The dramatic transition to his funeral, the long tracking to the photo on the coffin? The aftermath of the funeral, comments about it? The various members of the office, Sir James and his compliments? Margaret present? The son, talking to Margaret, reticent, trying to find out whether his father knew that he was terminal, and why he had not spoken to his family? Margaret’s tears?
13. The members of the office talking about Mr Williams, their reminiscences? And Mr Williams now seen in the flashbacks? The men, their resolution not to be bureaucrats, to be at service, in his memory, his influence? Peter and his agreement, his dismay at finding them simply repeating their old habits and relegating documents?
14. The various memories, going to the bombsite, Mr Williams being moved, the memory of his meeting Sir James, the refusal, his confronting him, winning? The various details of the demolition, the building of the playground? Memories of his indicating that he might not see the finished playground?
15. Peter, the bond with Margaret, the letter from Mr Williams to him?
16. The finale, the playground, the young constable, talking with Peter, the memories of the children playing, and Mr Williams sitting in the rain, singing Rowan Tree?
17. An image of Britain, the prim and proper aspects, bowler hat in suits, bureaucratic reticence of that past? And yet the possibility of change, on a very small scale, but full of humanity?