If you’re not moved by the final scene of him on a swing, I could make the same argument, but that would be making assumptions about one being heartless. Let’s avoid that.
The swing scene is poignant, yet the final scene, where we observe the playground from a distance with children playing, is even more moving. Although Kanji’s colleagues failed to implement the changes they seemed convinced to make within their bureaucratic confines, Kanji’s actions were not in vain and did effect change. This, needless to say, raises questions about the significance and scale of that change.
While intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant, I believe melodramas should fundamentally devastate the viewer on a visceral level, preventing higher-level engagement in the moment.
Consider Sansho the Bailiff. Despite its depth, the film overwhelms you emotionally, making it difficult to think because you are consumed by tears. The lake scene in Sansho is more powerful and poignant than the swing scene in Ikiru, partly because it stands on its own. Knowing the context enhances it, but it remains one of cinema’s greatest scenes regardless. The final scene is equally exceptional. In contrast, Ikiru is more consistent, with each scene building on the previous ones. It exemplifies narrative cinema, focusing so intently on storytelling that it doesn’t excel in non-narrative elements. It doesn’t engage the subconscious as profoundly as many masterpieces do. In other words,
there's nothing irrationally good in Ikiru.
Here's an interesting exercise: Consider whether a film can move you without subtitles. If it can’t, the story is likely the primary source of its emotional impact. The best melodramas should move you even if you don't understand the story. You should grasp enough to be moved, maybe it's someone’s death, maybe it's the beauty of the framing, the evocative music or silence, or maybe it's the actors within the space of the frame.
What moves us is subjective, but we can strive to understand how we are moved. It’s often challenging to pinpoint the exact elements, as they usually work in tandem, but this difficulty shouldn’t deter us from trying.
Ikiru is humane mostly in its narrative. Red Beard is humane both cinematically and narratively.
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