It is a high-profile wedding: the daughter of Mr Iwabuchi, a wealthy businessman, is marrying Mr Nishi, a car salesman. However, Mr Iwabuchi and other senior members of his company are suspected of corporate malfeasance and the wedding becomes a bit of a farce, with the press swarming all over it. To add to the discord, the company officials are rather publicly reminded of an ignominious event which occurred a few years ago - a senior employee committed suicide by jumping from the 7th floor of their offices. Now other senior officials are committing suicide and it looks like it is related to that death of a few years ago.Written by
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DIRECTOR_TRADEMARK(Akira Kurosawa): [weather]: Wada's colleague accountant's suicide occurs during a rainy day; rain and wind are shown while Nishi and Itakura interrogate Moriyama. See more »
Arguably the darkest, bleakest & most cynical of all Akira Kurosawa films, The Bad Sleep Well is an impressive amalgamation of assured direction, excellent writing & solid performances that not only works as an effective & engaging revenge drama but also serves as a sharp critique of corporate corruption.
The story begins with a masterly curated wedding sequence that aptly introduces all the relevant characters, and paves its foundation by letting the news reporters provide background details about each through their gossips. The revenge plan is already in motion when the film starts, and that scene does well to bring us up to date.
The set pieces are refined, detailed & beautifully lit while the fluid camerawork & crisp greyscale photography provide the imagery its rich intensity & timeless flair. Editing is carried out well for the most part but pacing does slip a little before the third act. All the actors play their roles responsibly, plus it's got Takashi Shimura in a rare villainous role.
Overall, The Bad Sleep Well finds Akira Kurosawa in complete control of his craft, and is yet another quality addition to the legendary auteur's oeuvre. Maintaining its firm grip on audience, the film is tense, captivating & thrilling for the majority of its 151 mins runtime before culminating with an ending that hits close to real-life. In short, an underrated & underseen gem.
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Arguably the darkest, bleakest & most cynical of all Akira Kurosawa films, The Bad Sleep Well is an impressive amalgamation of assured direction, excellent writing & solid performances that not only works as an effective & engaging revenge drama but also serves as a sharp critique of corporate corruption.
The story begins with a masterly curated wedding sequence that aptly introduces all the relevant characters, and paves its foundation by letting the news reporters provide background details about each through their gossips. The revenge plan is already in motion when the film starts, and that scene does well to bring us up to date.
The set pieces are refined, detailed & beautifully lit while the fluid camerawork & crisp greyscale photography provide the imagery its rich intensity & timeless flair. Editing is carried out well for the most part but pacing does slip a little before the third act. All the actors play their roles responsibly, plus it's got Takashi Shimura in a rare villainous role.
Overall, The Bad Sleep Well finds Akira Kurosawa in complete control of his craft, and is yet another quality addition to the legendary auteur's oeuvre. Maintaining its firm grip on audience, the film is tense, captivating & thrilling for the majority of its 151 mins runtime before culminating with an ending that hits close to real-life. In short, an underrated & underseen gem.