Product: The Bad Sleep Well (1963)
Rating: 5.0
(Was) My Favorite Non-Samurai Kurosawa! (until I saw Ikiru)
I don't understand how this film could receive a poor review! The film is very loosely based on Hamlet, the main similarities revolve around the revenge and corruption themes. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll be intentionally vague.The film moves along at a good pace. The acting is all top caliber for Japan at the time. Toshiro Mifune is amazingly believable and likable in this film. The corrupt company bosses are all delightfully unlikable. I enjoyed Mifune's character completely messing with the heads of the company bosses, even when he drove one man to insanity.It's not as deep as his other films, but it's riveting nonetheless. Don't expect the typical Kurosawa epic style here (such as Ran, Seven Samurai, etc...) this is a more quiet, personal piece, and one of his best in my opinion.The criterion subtitles are nicely translated and the film has been cleaned up a bit which is nice.Update: Yeah I finally saw Ikiru: Best film ever. Ever.