I just watched "The Bad Sleep Well," and finished reading the other viewers comments. So I will comment on both. "Seven Samurai" is perhaps my favorite film of all time, and I really like Kurasawa's work. Other than the brief plot summary, I didn't really know what to expect from "The Bad Sleep Well." The beginning can be somewhat confusing, as the reporters throw out lots of Japanese names and the viewer must struggle to understand what's going on and who is who. But as the film progressed, I found myself drawn in and completely absorbed by it. Don't worry if you don't get it at first, all will become clear. I found this to be an excellent film, and I would recommend it to any Kurasawa film. Sure, it's not action-packed like his samurai films. And yes, it is somewhat slow in pace. But I must say that I didn't really mind that. I found it quite engrossing. There are enough plot twists and turns to keep the viewer interested. I din't think that Toshiro Mifune did a bad job either, as some other viewers thought. He's not wild and crazy like in "Seven Samurai" or "Rashomon" but I didn't think he was badly cast. Sadly, I am not intimately familiar with "Hamlet," so I can't comment too much on the similarities. It seems to be the general opinion that this "The Bad Sleep Well" is loosely based on Hamlet, but I also agree that this won't detract from your enjoyment of the film in any way, and that knowing "Hamlet" doesn't mean that you will know what happens in this film. I agree with those who say that this is another underrated Kurarsawa masterpiece, and well worth seeing. Give it a chance!
