A man who gets a reprieve when he is at the cusp of capital punishment considers it a reincarnation & decides to be as kind as he could be to everyone. His naivety and innocence make him get tagged as ‘an idiot’. Only to two ladies does he seem the best. They love and loath him. One of his companions marries one of those ladies. It’s pandemonium all the way in a triangular possessive game.
Language:
Japanese
Running Time:
166 min
Rating:
PG
Release date:
23 May 1951
Directed by:
Akira Kurosawa
Produced by:
Takashi Koide
Written by:
Akira Kurosawa
Eijiro Hisaita
Based on:
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Starring:
Masayuki Mori
Toshiro Mifune
Setsuko Hara
Yoshiko Kuga
Music by:
Fumio Hayasaka
Shot by:
Toshio Ubukata
Editing by:
Akira Kurosawa
Distributed by:
Shochiku

What’s Hot

  • This Kurosawa translation of the Dostoevsky novel is as complex a drama as I have seen; It’s a cut version I gather and so the magic is not in full-flow.
  • The guy who plays Kameda, the idiot has been aptly chosen for the role; Toshiro Mifune, as the thug, happily plays second-fiddle only to terrorize at the end!
  • The contrast in the two lady characters who adore the idiot – Ayako & Nasu – has been explained brilliantly in the scene where they face each other – Classic scene!
  • Background score, camerawork and editing departments impress making this another high-quality Kurosawa product.

What’s Not

  • As the film is adapted from Russian Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel of the same name, the abstractness in presentation is evident and that may make some to stay away from it.

Badges

Verdict

Verdict Stamp

A neat and carefully researched and executed record of a historical event!