Death

“If I take death into my life, acknowledge it, and face it squarely, I will free myself from the anxiety of death and the pettiness of life, and only then will I be free to become myself.”

– Martin Heidegger

I have found that movies about death are more positive and heartwarming than you might expect. The title of the movie “Ikiru” means “To Live.” This movie is one of my all time favorites. It is definitely my favorite movie about death and, surprisingly, it is also one of my favorite movies about life. Movies simply don’t get any better than “Ikiru!”

The movies I have selected for the topic death include a death caused by old age and disease (Ikiru); a heroic death occurring in wartime (The Cranes are Flying); a death at the hands of the state (Monster’s Ball); and a death caused by dealing drugs (Winter’s Bone). In every case, these movies are just as concerned with those who are left behind as they are with those who die.