IkiruPG

Directed by Akira Kurosawa | Japan | 1952 | 2h 23m | Japanese w/ English subtitles | Starring Takashi Shimura, Miki Odagiri, Nobuo Kaneko, Shin'ichi Himori, Haruo Tanaka

The mundane life of a middle-aged bureaucrat is turned upside down when he discovers that he has a terminal illness. After reflecting on the meaning of his life, he becomes obsessed with pursuing the construction of a children’s playground in a nearby neglected neighbourhood. One of the greatest achievements by master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, Ikiru is celebrated for its deep exploration of existential themes and its compassionate portrayal of one man’s quest for meaning in the face of mortality.

Our screening on Sunday 15th October will be introduced by Tom Jowett, Head of Programming, The Ultimate Picture Palace.

Reviews

‘Such is the delicacy of Kurosawa’s direction, and the discreet power of Takashi Shimura’s central performance, that you will be moved to tears.’
★★★★★
Adrian Turner, Radio Times

‘The narrative is carefully paced, the central performance magnificent, the final effect overwhelming in a manner that recalls the great Russian writers Kurosawa admired.’
Philip French, The Observer

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Ikiru between October 15, 2023 and October 16, 2023.

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What else is on?

Today (Saturday 27th July)

15:15

Sleep 15
1h 35m | Korean w/ English subtitles
Late one night, a young woman is awakened by her husband's sinister mutterings in his sleep. As the nights pass, his behavior becomes increasingly disturbing in Jason Yu's suspenseful horror debut.

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17:30

The Conversation 12A
1h 54m
A surveillance expert is hired to follow a couple and becomes obsessed with their cryptic conversations in Coppola's neo-noir thriller exploring technology and privacy. Palme d'Or winner, now restored in 4K for its 50th anniversary.

Book here

20:00

Kinds of Kindness 18
2h 44m
A man takes control of his life. A woman searches for a spiritual leader with a unique ability. A man's missing wife returns. Three stories come together in Yorgos Lanthimos' dark comedy, starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Willem Dafoe.

Book here


Tomorrow (Sunday 28th July)

14:00

The Conversation 12A
1h 54m
A surveillance expert is hired to follow a couple and becomes obsessed with their cryptic conversations in Coppola's neo-noir thriller exploring technology and privacy. Palme d'Or winner, now restored in 4K for its 50th anniversary.

Book here

16:30

Kinds of Kindness 18
2h 44m
A man takes control of his life. A woman searches for a spiritual leader with a unique ability. A man's missing wife returns. Three stories come together in Yorgos Lanthimos' dark comedy, starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Willem Dafoe.

Book here

20:00

Orlando, My Political Biography 12A
1h 39m | French w/ English subtitles
Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel Orlando acts as an inspiration in filmmaker and philosophers Paul B. Preciado’s award-winning documentary illustrating how life, poetry, and gender converge in the lives of trans people from past and present.

Book here


Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road. We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!