The Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru (The Bad Sleep Well) (1962)

100% of critics liked it
(16 reviews)
91% of users liked it
(5,230 ratings)

In this engaging drama, acclaimed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa deftly splices together the nuances of hypocrisy, old feudal misconceptions lingering in modern corruption, and Shakespeare's Hamlet. The rotten corporate world is taken on by Koichi Nishi (Toshiro Mifune), who is looking for revenge… More In this engaging drama, acclaimed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa deftly splices together the nuances of hypocrisy, old feudal misconceptions lingering in modern corruption, and Shakespeare's Hamlet. The rotten corporate world is taken on by Koichi Nishi (Toshiro Mifune), who is looking for revenge in the death of his father. Koichi is a private secretary to a government official, and in the opening scene, at Koichi's wedding to the official's disabled daughter, a special cake is brought in which jolts those present -- it reminds them of the suicide that paved the way for their current positions of power. Then the police arrive and arrest one of the wedding guests. Unknown to the others, Koichi is the hidden force behind all the strange happenings that begin to sting their consciences and ruin their lives. Ghostly figures and would-be killers in the dark streets contrast with shining corporate offices as the plot maneuvers to its tragic conclusion. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: Akira Kurosawa
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Oct 5, 1962 Wide
On DVD: Jan 10, 2006
Studio: Cowboy Pictures

Critic Reviews

Ed Park, Village Voice
Opening with a bravura wedding sequence and ending with a sycophantic bow to a replaced telephone receiver, the film has its longueurs, but Mifune's buttoned-down avenger is a compelling portrait of righteous obsession foundering on unpredictable reality.
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
This is a powerful and interesting picture that Kurosawa has made -- a bit tedious and mawkish in the last reels, but exciting enough along the way to satisfy audiences that know the subject.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
A well-done thriller with Kurosawa's usual social overtones.
Louis Proyect, rec.arts.movies.reviews
A powerful tale of a son seeking to avenge his father in a world of corporate malfeasance with Hamlet-like dimensions.
Armond White, New York Press
The Bad Sleep Well's ground-breaking concept shows Kurosawa's uncompromised ambition.
Douglas Pratt, DVDLaser
t is almost an anti-thriller, but viewers who are willing to steep themselves in the intricacies of Japanese ceremonies and the banal details of evil will find the experience highly rewarding.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
One of Kurosawa's finest achievements.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
There just seemed to be a missing ingredient to raise this intense psychological drama to the level of a Rashomon.
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
Despite having been made more than 45 years ago and in a postwar Japanese setting, in the age of Enron, it may be more relevant than ever.
Tom Milne, Time Out
Kurosawa rather loaded the film on the side of social significance, while neglecting to capitalise on the noir aspects that underlie it. Even so, his use of the 'scope screen is masterly.
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
A sterling Shakespearean noir, Kurosawa's critique of unchecked corporate power functions as an uncharacteristically despondent counterpoint to his trademark humanism.
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
A freestyle homage to Hamlet that does away with the costumed faithfulness of Kurosawa's other Shakespeare adaptations.
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
A startlingly relevant 'social problem film' (shakai-mono)--of its time and our own--and an existential melodrama by way of Hamlet.
Fran Hortop, Film4
It's still as visually striking as anything you will see by this director.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Michael G

The Bad Sleep Well is one of Akira Kurosawa's more contemporary classics borrowing from film noir and Shakespeare respectively. Kurosawa's direction and storytelling skills areas always top shelf and its nice to know that a clean-shaven Toshiro Mifune was able to hold his… More
The Bad Sleep Well is one of Akira Kurosawa's more contemporary classics borrowing from film noir and Shakespeare respectively. Kurosawa's direction and storytelling skills areas always top shelf and its nice to know that a clean-shaven Toshiro Mifune was able to hold his own even without a top knot and a sword in hand. Plenty of great moments are slightly thrown off by some vaguely uneven pacing in the last act and an ending that left a little to be desired. This definitely isn't to say The Bad Sleep Well should be avoided, just probably not for the novice or intermediate Kurosawa enthusiast.
Randy T

Akira Kurosawa's noir-ish tale of corporate evil and corruption. An exquisite adaptation of <i>Hamlet</i> that's both reverent and unnerving.
Bruce B

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 and… More
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 and be willing to pay close attention. A great addition to a collection if you can afford it.
xGary X

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… More
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 corporate 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"!
Drew S

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 like… More
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 like his films are longer than they should be. As far as writing, direction and performances go, though, they are excellent.
danny d

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… More
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 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.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"The Bad Sleep Well" starts with the wedding of Koichi Nishi(Toshiro Mifune) and Yoshiko Iwabuchi(Kyoko Kagawa), daughter of the vice president(Masayuki Mori) of the Public Land Corporation which is being investigated for a kickback scheme. The press is… More
[font=Century Gothic]"The Bad Sleep Well" starts with the wedding of Koichi Nishi(Toshiro Mifune) and Yoshiko Iwabuchi(Kyoko Kagawa), daughter of the vice president(Masayuki Mori) of the Public Land Corporation which is being investigated for a kickback scheme. The press is on hand to see two officers of the corporation being arrested but neither are willing to give up anything on their superiors. When one is charged with embezzlement, he commits suicide. The second, Wada(Kamatari Fujiwara), is just about to when he is interrupted by Nishi, which is strange considering that he is Iwabuchi's secretary...[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]Directed by Akira Kurosawa, "The Bad Sleep Well" is a highly engrossing procedural on the nature of revenge and justice, especially when the authorities are unable to make a case. In this culture, the bureaucratic system keeps underlings in thrall to their superiors, making it impossible for them to report malfeasances. Like "The Third Man" before it, this movie makes a great case for there being no such thing as a victimless crime. All of these themes are masterfully set up in the opening sequence which introduces all of the major players and the press serves as a Greek chorus, detailing the background information for the audience. [/font]
Gevvy S

The film that inspired the wedding scene of The Godfather, and hailed "as perfect as it gets" by Francis Ford Coppola, was a hard movie to rate. A second viewing really helped put this movie into perspective. It was not a hard film to rate because it's awful or… More
The film that inspired the wedding scene of The Godfather, and hailed "as perfect as it gets" by Francis Ford Coppola, was a hard movie to rate. A second viewing really helped put this movie into perspective. It was not a hard film to rate because it's awful or anything. I just kept going back and forth on whether its perfect or not. It's a very gripping psychological noir film by Kurosawa. But I felt it was not in the league of his masterpieces like Rashomon, Ikiru, or Seven Samurai. I think this is because at first the film is very slow, with the opening wedding scene being used as a means to introduce the characters and attempting to explain a bit of the shady deals between a government branch and a construction company. While being a strong commentary on corruption and the 'system' under which corporate world works, this film's main focus is it's at first mysterious groom Nishi (played by Toshiro Mifune with great refinement and restraint). He marries the daughter of a high official. The plot contains influences of Shakespeare's Hamlet, but is not completely faithful to the play. It is still a great movie nonetheless, with classic existential overtones which were seen in Kurosawa earlier films like The Idiot and Lower Depths. The atmosphere is a different one however as the film is set in contemporary modern day Japan (in 1960). Backed by good acting performances (a memorably villainous one by Takashi Shimura) and Kurosawa's excellent direction with lighting certain scenes (the scene in the office with Wada and Shirai comes to mind, where a flashlight is used to illuminate the characters). Kurosawa tells a unique story, which unfortunately seemed to be a little ambitious because at times the talking and explaining got a little tiresome. The great ending leaves me wondering if justice had been served. (plot spoiler) On the surface it seems that justice has not been served because of Nishi's outcome and the result of all his efforts. But in the end, Kurosawa does show Tatsuo and Yoshiko condemn and leave Iwabuchi for what he's done, so perhaps he got what he deserved by losing his two children. Or, on the other hand, it doesn't bother him at all and indeed the Bad will sleep soundly like the title states. This complex ending that the film arrives at certainly makes it a great film.
Curt C

It's Hamlet. By Kurosawa. Set in postwar corporate Japan. And Toshirô Mifune is Hamlet. I could practically give this 5 stars before even watching it. Kurosawa once again lives up to my exceedingly high expectations of him. Part Shakespeare, part film noir, with an… More
It's Hamlet. By Kurosawa. Set in postwar corporate Japan. And Toshirô Mifune is Hamlet. I could practically give this 5 stars before even watching it. Kurosawa once again lives up to my exceedingly high expectations of him. Part Shakespeare, part film noir, with an exceptional ending; THIS is how you modernize a Shakespearean classic.