Kazuo Ishiguro's thoughts on writing the screenplay for "Living" for the first time in 17 years

“Living” synopsis

1953. London is still in the process of rebuilding after World War II. Williams, a civil servant, commutes to work today in the same car on the same train. He is a so-called "stiff" British gentleman, dressed in a pin-striped suit and a bowler hat pulled deep over his eyes. He works in the citizen section of a government office, and is busy with paperwork every day while being hated by his subordinates. At home, he felt alone and his life felt empty and meaningless. One day, he is diagnosed with cancer by a doctor and learns that he only has six months to live. He bids farewell to the days when he was just a cog and begins to reevaluate his life. Trying to live a fulfilling life before it's too late. He gives up his job and goes to a seaside resort to drink and have fun, but it doesn't feel right. The disease is eating away at his body... He returns to London and meets Margaret, who used to work for him. She is now full of vitality and wants to test her strength in society. He was attracted to her, and while spending some time with her, he decided to take a new step, as if he had received a revelation. That step will eventually change the people around her who were once indifferent.

Index

• Kazuo Ishiguro's first screenplay in 17 years
• Incorporating British gentlemanly charm
• Similarities with “The Remains of the Day” and “Never Let Me Go”
• Bill Nighy's characters from comedy to serious
• Ishiguro's commitment to music

Kazuo Ishiguro's first screenplay in 17 years

The British film ``Living'' (22) is a rereading of director Akira Kurosawa's 1952 masterpiece `` Living '' from a new perspective. It received high praise in the UK and the US, and both Kazuo Ishiguro, who was in charge of the adaptation, and Bill Nighy, who starred in the film, were nominated for Academy Awards.

Ishiguro won the Nobel Prize as a writer, and his novels have been made into films such as `` The Remains of the Day '' (1993) and `` Never Let Me Go '' (10), both of which were successful works, but the adaptation was not his responsibility. Newly written screenwriters include Canadian cult director Guy Maddin's unique work ``The Saddest Music in the World'' (2003, screened only at film festivals in Japan) and `` The Remains of the Day '' director James Ivory's ``The Saddest Music in the World. '' He also directed "The Countess " (2005), but the director of the former (with Ishiguro's permission) changed the story to something completely different from the script, and the latter was severely criticized by critics. In fact, Ishiguro's position as a screenwriter was uncertain, and he did not write a screenplay for 17 years after `` The Countess of Shanghai .'' However, this new work, which was his first foray into screenwriting, earned him an Oscar nomination and recognition as a screenwriter (he was nominated not only for an Oscar but also for Best Adapted Screenplay at the BAFTAs).

“Living LIVING” (C) Number 9 Films Living Limited

Akira Kurosawa's film was based on an original idea that translated the novel `` The Death of Ivan Ilych '', written in the 19th century by the great Russian writer Tolstoy, into Japanese society. The screenplay was written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni. Although the setting of a dying government official and a satirical view of the bureaucratic system are used in Kurosawa's films, the overall story is completely different and has been changed to an original content.

Kurosawa's version has many satirical depictions of government officials, and this is especially evident in the second half. The film is satirical from the beginning, showing an X-ray photo of the main character, and begins with a narration: ``This is the main character's stomach. There are signs of stomach cancer, but he doesn't know it yet.'' The story itself, which depicts the final struggle of a man with little time left to live, is moving, but as you can see from the way he narrates the story at the beginning, he sees the main character from a somewhat withdrawn perspective, which leads to the depiction of criticism of officials in the second half. Connect. The film's style is not tear-jerking, and the depiction of the main character's surroundings at times even feels like a black comedy.

However, Ishiguro's version eliminates these satirical parts and Kurosawa's muddy elements and creates a simple, straightforward structure, making it an easy-to-understand and classy work.

Incorporating British gentlemanly charm