I Live in Fear

• Toshirō Mifune: Kiichi Nakajima
• Takashi Shimura: Dr. Harada
• Minoru Chiaki: Jiro Nakajima
• Eiko Miyoshi: Toyo Nakajima
• Kyoko Aoyama: Sue Nakajima
• Haruko Tōgō: Yoshi Nakajima
• Noriko Sengoku: Kimie Nakajima

Balance sheet of a life (Japanese生きものの記録, no Ikimono Kiroku, Alternative title: A Life in Fear ) is a 1955 produced by Toho in Japan black-and-white film drama directed by Akira Kurosawa.

The film was shown at the International Film Festival of Cannes 1956.

Action

Kiichi Nakajima, the owner of a foundry, is convinced that Japan will be destroyed by an imminent nuclear disaster. In his fear, he decides to give up and foundry himself and his family to Brazil to settle on a farm near São Paulo over. It assumes that South America will be the only safe place to protect against nuclear threat. His family does not share his fears and seeks a court hearing, which it seeks to have him declared incompetent. You want to sell the foundry to use the money for themselves can. During the court hearings progressing, particularly the judicial council can put Dr. Harada in the position of Kiichi Nakajima in and is undecided about the decision to be adopted by the Court. Meanwhile, take the delusions of Kiichi Nakajima to continue. He feels the foundry as a barrier between his plan and the decision of his family to join him and burn them down. Shortly thereafter, he is that, being, sent to a state of catharsis in a mental hospital.

Background

This was the last film in which Kurosawa worked with the composer Fumio Hayasaka. Hayasaka died in 1955 of tuberculosis. Both were close friends since 1948 and worked together on several films.

For Toshirō Mifune this film was the eighth collaboration with Kurosawa. Overall, he played in the 1948 and 1965 in 16 films Kurosawa a major role.

For the role of the family head Kiichi Nakajima of the then 35 -year-old Toshirō Mifune was made ​​up to an age of end 60.