Scandal (Shubun) (1950)

Featured Audience Ratings

• danny d

  
  a solid film with great acting and diologue, even if the plot was a little silly. there is a sense where the plot is very good as it points out the abuses and hypocracy of the media, but at the same time the film didnt really carry any significance in the bigger picture of humanity… More
  a solid film with great acting and diologue, even if the plot was a little silly. there is a sense where the plot is very good as it points out the abuses and hypocracy of the media, but at the same time the film didnt really carry any significance in the bigger picture of humanity which is rare for a kurosawa film. still, this story had some profound elements, especially the internal moral struggle of shimura's character and the impact that his dying daughter had on him. written and shot well and entertaining to watch.

• xGary X

  
  Another of Kurosawa's early films, it features his usual morality message this time aimed at the media. A free-spirited artist and a famous singer are photographed together by the paparazzi who fabricate a scandalous affair to sell their paper. It's basically an attack on… More
  Another of Kurosawa's early films, it features his usual morality message this time aimed at the media. A free-spirited artist and a famous singer are photographed together by the paparazzi who fabricate a scandalous affair to sell their paper. It's basically an attack on the gutter press and it's insistence on invading the privacy of the famous to pander to the public's base fascination with celebrity gossip. Being an early example of his work, he hasn't quite honed his skills and a little too often the story veers into sentimentality and melodrama, particularly towards the end. It does have a nice light touch early on in the film though, tempering the more saccharine soaked moments with gentle humour and Toshiro Mifune and Yoshiko Yamaguchi make a couple to rival the glamour of their Hollywood counterparts. Not a major work, but still eminently watchable with a theme that's clearly as relevant today as it was then.

• Walter M

  
  [font=Century Gothic]In "Scandal," Miyako Saijo(Yoshiko Yamaguchi), a famous singer, blissfully sings while climbing a hill until she realizes she is not alone. Ichiro Aoye(Toshiro Mifune) is painting nearby Mount Kumitori while being surrounded by a group of admirers. Since… More
  [font=Century Gothic]In "Scandal," Miyako Saijo(Yoshiko Yamaguchi), a famous singer, blissfully sings while climbing a hill until she realizes she is not alone. Ichiro Aoye(Toshiro Mifune) is painting nearby Mount Kumitori while being surrounded by a group of admirers. Since she missed her bus, he gentlemanly offers her a ride on his motorcycle to a nearby resort where there are paparazzi waiting in ambush. Being a very private person, she does not wish her picture taken. However, they still get a shot of her and Ichiro which is plastered all over Tokyo in a tabloid, intimating that the two are having an affair. Ichiro confronts the publisher Hori(Eitaro Ozawa), threatens a lawsuit and even slugs him.(Even though I'm a pacifist, I think he had it coming.) Hiruta(Takashi Shimura), a lawyer, drops by Ichiro's studio to offer his services.[/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Scandal" is a solid movie that has lost none of its punch over the decades, even if a couple of the scenes are overplayed and go on too long. Regrettably, celebrity journalism is still with us to rob celebrities of any kind of privacy. In this movie, Miyako and Ichiro are the protaganists whose creation of art is respected which Hori does not. He is just trying to sell magazines by whatever means necessary, even if lives are wrecked in the bargain. Somewhere in the middle is Hiruta who is badly in need of redemption.[/font]

• Chris B

  
  While this isn't top-tier Kurosawa, even his lesser works are solid films full of his talent and the actors that he would make famous! The film features solid performances from both Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura and both fill out their characters nicely.… More
  While this isn't top-tier Kurosawa, even his lesser works are solid films full of his talent and the actors that he would make famous! The film features solid performances from both Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura and both fill out their characters nicely. "Scandal" tends to get near and in many cases reaches melodramatic at times but the film has a lot of heart to match it's offbeat comedy and solidly acted screenplay. Any Kurosawa is fine by me and this is no exception!

• Gevvy S

  
  The funniest of Kurosawa's films. Takashi Shimura gives some great comic moments which bring a lot of laughter for his character and a lot of compassion as well because it reveals that he is indeed a good person who has succumbed to temptation. Toshiro Mifune gives a fierce… More
  The funniest of Kurosawa's films. Takashi Shimura gives some great comic moments which bring a lot of laughter for his character and a lot of compassion as well because it reveals that he is indeed a good person who has succumbed to temptation. Toshiro Mifune gives a fierce performance as a honest and determined artist who tries to bring the corrupt executive and prying eyes of his newspaper company to justice. Well made film about the responsibility of the media that pits the two issues of privacy of individuals versus freedom of the press. An evermore relevant question in today's society where there is an even bigger craze for celebrity gossip. It's flaw is that it is too sentimental, at times predictable, and in the end perhaps formulaic; however it will always be worth the watch for Shimura's very funny performance.