"Oh, it's hard to hate evil. I have to hate and become hateful myself."
- Koichi Nishi (Toshirô Mifune) to Itakura (Takeshi Kato) and Wada (Kamatari Fujiwara)
Entertainment Reviews:
Uncut - 10/01/2005
"Kurosawa reworks HAMLET as a tale of corporate skullduggery in '60s Tokyo."
Sight and Sound - 11/01/2005
"Toshiro Mifune brings real edge to his role as the wronged son out to avenge his father..."
Entertainment Weekly - 02/03/2006
"BAD feels stunningly topical, it has a cool title, and Mifune boils brightly..."
Rolling Stone - 02/09/2006
"This is a great movie, brimming with heart-pounding tension..."
Product Description:
Something is rotten in Japan in this engaging drama by acclaimed director Akira Kurosawa. Toshirô Mifune stars as Koichi Nishi, the secretary to the president of a housing corporation, who seeks revenge for his father's murder. At Koichi's marriage to Kieko (Kyôko Kagawa), the president's daughter, memories of the death are stirred, and soon corruption within the organization is exposed. Unknown to the officials, Koichi is the hidden force behind the mysterious happenings that begin to weigh on their consciences and ruin their lives. As the story moves toward its tragic conclusion, spectral figures lurk in the darkened streets while others plot and scheme within their shining corporate offices. Loosely based on Shakespeare's HAMLET, Kurosawa's film skillfully combines themes from the classic play with a stylish 1960s film noir mood.
Plot Synopsis:
A grieving son seeks revenge for his father's murder. Mind manipulation and danger reign, as Koichi Nishi (Toshirô Mifune) infiltrates the corrupt construction company that was responsible for his father's death.
THE BAD SLEEP WELL was the first film completed by Kurosawa Productions, the director's own production unit.
In referring to the film, director Akira Kurosawa commented that he "wanted to make a movie of some social significance."
Although THE BAD SLEEP WELL shares similarities with Shakespeare's HAMLET, the film is only vaguely derived from the play. Based on MACBETH and KING LEAR, respectively, THRONE OF BLOOD and RAN are Kurosawa's full-fledged Shakespeare adaptations.
Toshirô Mifune, Kyôko Kagawa, Takashi Shimura, and Susumu Fujita also appear in Kurosawa's similarly themed HIGH AND LOW.
Film Collectors & Archivists: Alpha Video is actively looking for rare and
unusual pre-1943 motion pictures, in good condition, from Monogram, PRC,
Tiffany, Chesterfield, and other independent studios for release on DVD. We
are also interested in TV shows from the early 1950s. Share your passion
for films with a large audience.
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