Madadayo

Star Review

Like Rhapsody in August, his meditative re-examination of post-war life in Japan, Madadayo, Akira Kurosawa's thirty-first (and last) film is a gentle, tender, thoughtful film that some may think a world away from his legendary 'golden period' in the 50s and 60s – but nothing could be further from the truth. Madadayo (pronounced with a long 'Ma' sound on the opening vowel to replicate a children's game) concerns a beloved professor and his relationship with his students (students who ask him on each birthday if he is ready? – the implication being 'to die yet?' – only to have the professor answer 'Mada dayo' – or ‘Not yet, not yet...’). The film has none of the set pieces you'd associate with the Kurosawa of Yojimbo or Stray Dog, but the humour of, say, Hidden Fortress is much in evidence, as is the great humanitarianism of Ikiru and Red Beard, as the professor, who is very much of the 'glass half full' school, finds reason to go on living even in his darkest moments.

Peter Wild on 5th September 2007

View all 54 of Peter Wild’s reviews

[ Show Film Description ]

Film Description

Aka Not Yet. In pre-WWII Tokyo, a professor of German decides to retire after thirty years of teaching and dedicate himself to writing. His students love and respect him and keep in close touch with him and his wife, building him a house after it is bombed and celebrating his birthday with him yearly. Every year they ask him, 'Mahda-kai?' ('Are you ready?'), to which the professor responds 'Madadayo!' ('Not yet!'). Kurosawa's film is a soothing film about kindness and living well.

[ Show Star Review ]

Ratings for this DVD

Average Rating
Log in to place your vote!

Film Details

Cast

Tatsuo Matsumura

Technical Details