The Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru (The Bad Sleep Well) poster & wallpaper

Akira Nishimura, Chishu Ryu, Kamatari Fujiwara

Koichi Nishi (Toshiro Mifune) is distraught after his father's demise, which he blames on the cutthroat corporate environment in which he worked. Desperate to avenge his father's senseless death, Koic...( read more  read more... )hi begins to tamper with the sanity of each person who ever wronged the man. He starts with the cake at his very own wedding; per Koichi's instructions, the confection has been specially crafted to remind the attendees of their darkest secrets. …

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91% liked it

925 ratings

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14 critics

Unrated, 2 hrs. 31 min.

Directed by: Akira Kurosawa

Release Date: December 31, 1960

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DVD Release Date: January 10, 2006

Stats: 232 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (232)

  • her69eyes
    June 27, 2009
    her69eyes
    Ah, revenge. A genre that's been limited to films offering nothing more than a series of gruesome kills as the bloodlusting viewers cheer on. Although Akira Kurosawa's "The Bad Sleep Well" shares more in common with a typical classical noir picture, it's hero isn't remarkably dif...( read more)ferent from the revenge-seekers we see today. He's a ruthless man driven by anger, an antihero conjuring up a series of pranks to achieve vengeance for his father. Because he doesn't show his enemies much sympathy, it's hard for us to feel sympathetic towards him. It's a film that exists in shades of gray, which is adequately compelling throughout most of the film - but the convoluted last half hour left me unmoved and, worse, uninterested.

    "The Bad Sleep Well" is prolific Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's take on Shakespeare's Hamlet. It's done in the style of a typical 1940's American noir, and it's sights are set on dissecting the evils of big business practice. It was also Kurosawa's first independent production with his own company.

    The film begins with the wedding between Keiko (Kyoko Kagawa) and Koichi (Toshiro Mifune). Keiko is the daughter of Iwabuchi (Masayuki Mori), who is the president of the Unutilized Land Development Corporation. Iwabuchi's son, Tatsuo (Tatsuya Mihashi), is not entirely convinced that Koichi is a proper suitor for Keiko. He assumes that Koichi only married into the family for the benefit of his career. He says that he will kill him if he finds out that this is the case.

    Tatsuo is right - Koichi didn't marry Keiko completely out of love. His real name is Itakura, and he's the son of Furaya, an assistant chief who committed suicide five years previous. It wasn't so much a suicide as it was a murder, as Koichi is aware of a scandal involving Iwabuchi, vice president Moriyama (Takashi Shimura), and chief officer Shirai (Ko Nishimura), who convinced Furaya to take the fall for the benefit of the company. A mysterious gift arrives at the wedding. It's a cake in the shape of one of the company's office building, and in the window where Furaya jumped is a rose.

    It's hard to root for the vengeful schemer Koichi. Not only does his plot involve innocent third parties (Keiko), but we know that his father's death was on his own accord (albeit with convincing). Furthermore, because we never hear anything about Furawaya, there's no reason we should accept that he was any less corrupt than Iwabura, Moriyama, and Shirai.

    "The Bad Sleep Well" is mostly entertaining, however it falls apart near the end when the plot expands into a convoluted and tedious procession. For the two-or-so-hours leading up to the final reels, however, it's an enjoyable noir with some beautiful visuals and good performances.
  • garyX
    March 20, 2008
    garyX
    This is the first of Kurosawa's contemporary stories I have seen, and once again the visual style and composition is remarkable, melding his unique style with the shadowy world of Film Noir. The plot is a variation on the themes of Hamlet set in the corrupt underbelly of corporat...( read more)e Japan. Toshiro Mifune proves there is more to his repertoire than the lone warrior, and is just as much of a bad ass without a katana in his hand. Unfortunately I was struggling with some more dubious subtitling and so probably missed some of the nuances of the script, and the unrelentingly grey morality combined with a (deliberately) unsatisfying ending left me feeling a little disorientated. But there are some wonderful moments, particularly in the middle of the film when Mifune's motives become apparent and his plans come into effect. A beautifully made and unusual morality tale that could be described as "corporate noir"!
  • ceWEBrity
    June 15, 2007
    ceWEBrity
    High class Kurosawa. Fresh, interesting characters and a darkly twisted plot, superimposed on involving corporate drama, make for a multilayered and frequently successful movie. Granted, he rarely cuts the fat, with long lingering shots and deliberate pacing, so honestly I feel l...( read more)ike his films are longer than they should be. As far as writing, direction and performances go, though, they are excellent.
  • sanjurosamurai
    February 11, 2007
    sanjurosamurai
    incredible. kurosawa never ceases to amaze me. this is considered one of kurosawas least appreciated films but its so perfect. tashiro mifune offers up another brilliant performance. kurosawa is known for his period films but this one takes place around 1960 when the film was...( read more) made. this is just as good as kurosawas other more well known films. just incredible. this film tackles corporate corruption and revenge and it has some cool plot twists. must watch for any movie fan.
  • bbcfloridabound
    March 27, 2008
    bbcfloridabound
    It takes a certain type person to enjoy a Criterion Collection movie, lets face it if Spiderman, Terminator, Or Lion King is your favorite movie, its very doubtful you will in enjoy a Criterion Collection movie. This one is no exception. A great movie but you must read subtitles ...( read more)and be willing to pay close attention. A great addition to a collection if you can afford it.
  • jscottcorley
    September 6, 2009
    jscottcorley
    Ahead of its time. A scathing indictment of greed and the corporate system. Badass.
  • vanjaantonijevic
    July 24, 2009
    vanjaantonijevic
    http://content8.flixster.com/movie/10/88/29/10882974_tmb.jpg
  • alexroy69
    February 4, 2009
    alexroy69
    Film noir qui traite de la corruption dans les hautes sphères industrielles japonaises. Kurosawa n'y va pas de main morte et s'inspire de divers cas réels pour construire un récit puissant qui dénonce une réalité trop souvent ignorée et qui prenait de plus en plus de place à l'ép...( read more)oque.

    Mifune est encore une fois de la partie dans le rôle du jeune secrétaire qui veut venger le suicide orchestré de son père. Son jeu est toutefois moins physique qu'à l'habitude, plus axé sur la colère réprimée. Shimura est toujours aussi excellent dans le rôle de l'exécutif corrompu et sans scrupule.

    Plusieurs scènes mémorables, en particulier celles des funérailles et des apparitions fantomatiques (superbement photographiées), mais également une certaine lourdeur dans la progression du récit. Du bon Kurosawa, mais qui souffre un peu de sa durée excessive. La finale donne tout de même froid dans le dos par son réalisme cru.
  • engrymfilm
    November 21, 2008
    engrymfilm
    Mifune brings the house down. Did the opening wedding inspire Coppola's opening for the original Godfather? I can totally see it
  • kurosawian
    August 16, 2007
    kurosawian
    A modern variation of the Hamlet story. Proof that Toshiro Mifune has range. This is a complex and original crime film with an unforgettable ending.

View All The Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru (The Bad Sleep Well) Reviews

Critic Reviews

January 9, 2006
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

A freestyle homage to Hamlet that does away with the costumed faithfulness of Kurosawa's other Shakespeare adaptations. full review

View more The Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru (The Bad Sleep Well) reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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