So I decided to watch some of Kurosawa's older films, starting with Throne of Blood and this film, Ikiru (To Live).
Initially, I was struck by the western feel of this film, i.e. the use of the narrarative voice at points in the film and the style of the storytelling reminded me of It's a Wonderful Life. Indeed, the film is about an old man coming to grips with a short time to live due to stomach cancer and the change that can ensue with that information. Other notable Western influences were the "underground" Japan after-dark scenes, some of the music choices at times are decidedly non-Japanese.
The last 45 minutes or so were a bit slow for me, but the use of flashbacks to help finish the story through the eyes of men who knew the protagonist was interesting...maybe influenced by Citizen Kane?
For those interested in a contrast between the No-theatre influenced samurai films of Kurosawa, this is worth a watch.