Madadayo

Madadayo (まあだだよ, Mādadayo, literally, "Not Yet") is a 1993 Japanese comedy-drama film. It is the thirtieth and final film to be completed by Akira Kurosawa. It was screened out of competition at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. The film was selected as the Japanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 66th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

Plot

The main story of the film is based on the life of a Japanese academic and author, Hyakken Uchida (1889–1971). The film opens with him resigning as professor of German, in the period immediately before the Second World War. The plot of the film is centered on his relationship with his former students, who care for him in his old age. The title, Not Yet in English, is an allusion to an ancient Japanese legend mentioned in one scene of the film, of an old man who refuses to die. This story is constantly referred to in the movie, as every year on the old man's birthday, his students throw him a party in which they all ask him, "Mada kai?" ("Are you ready?"). He responds by drinking a large ceremonial glass of beer and shouting "Mada dayo!" ("Not yet!"), implying that death may be near, but life still goes on. The movie also covers the events that transpire in between these birthdays, such as his moving into a new house, his discovery of (and loss of) a beloved house cat, etc. As the years progress, the annual celebrations shift from a fraternity party atmosphere to a gathering of families, and the ceremonial large glass of beer that Uchida drinks changes as well, but he always completes his full glass.