Akira Kurosawa and Toshirô Mifune collaborated together on something like 8,000 movies together in a span of seventeen years (actually sixteen, but it’s still impressive). I’ve seen four of them so far, and every single one of them has been amazing. The Bad Sleep Well is certainly no exception. Though not by any means the first non-period piece Kurosawa directed, it is nevertheless the first one I’d seen, and I was interested in seeing in what ways his style was adapted because of it.
To be clear, I really don’t like providing a plot synopsis to the movies I review. Personally, I like approaching a film knowing as little about its narrative structure as possible. Otherwise I find myself too distracted by anticipation, it’s far too easy to distance myself from it. I feel that the act of viewing a film should be as immersive an experience as possible. My goal in reviewing movies is to hopefully provide enough information to the reader that they might be driven to see it themselves while at the same time not providing so much exposition that they feel like they’ve seen it just by reading the review. It can be a difficult task at times. Particularly with a film like this, which relies so heavily on narrative twists and turns. I know I’m not always going to get it right, but striving towards that is a major goal of this project.
The character work of the film is first rate. The cast is led by Kurosawa veteran Toshirô Mifune, who brings his trademark quiet (and sometimes not-so-quiet) intensity to the role of Nishi, a man bent on bringing down the world of corporate corruption by which he is surrounded. Watching Mifune’s disciplined performance is really a treat. The methodical attention he gives to his character is very evident, and often times I feel that he conveys more emotion with all the words he doesn’t speak than most actors do in full out monologue. This emotion is made all the more intriguing and enjoyable do to his characters appearance. Decked out in a double breasted suit and glasses, he’s almost as mild mannered as they come. At the same time there’s some kind of brutal edge that is ever present. He’s like some bizarre cross between Clark Kent and a To Kill a Mockinbird era Gregory Peck. Though it’s hard not to be overshadowed by Mifune’s performance, there are a lot of bright spots in the supporting cast as well. Chief among these are Tatsuya Mihashi, who brings a lot of humor to his role as Tatsuo, the playboy son of Nishi’s boss (Masayuki Mori). Kyôko Kagawa also shines as Keiko, sister to Tatsuo and newly married wife to Nishi.
Though not as obviously visually stunning as some of his more “epic” films The Bad Sleep Well nonetheless contains some truly beautiful camera work. Kurosawa’s oft-utilized “pan focus” is used to great effect in a number of scenes, most notably the opening wedding sequence and later as Nishi and an associate covertly observe a funeral service. Another of my favorite shots takes place early on in the film in and around and actual volcano. The story is that Kurosawa had his effects artist add a large amount of fake smoke to the natural smoke already present on the location. Kurosawa addresses this in a short documentary that’s added as a special feature to the dvd. I wish I could recall the exact quotation, but he says something to the effect that you can’t present nature as it really is by simply filming it as it is. You always have to add something to it. It’s an interesting idea, and I think it ends up paying off for him very well.
Masaru Satô’s music is also used to great effect throughout the film. My favorite musical effect would have to be Nishi’s persistent whistling throughout the film. Used sparingly at first, it appears more and more frequently, becoming a leitmotif of sorts for the character. Towards the end of the film it works its way into the score of the film while still being employed by Nishi, pleasantly bouncing between the films diegetic and non-diegetic sound. There are also a couple of great instances of musical juxtaposition as well, particularly the contrast between the classical wedding march in the opening scene with the all but celebratory mood of most of the guests. Finally, there’s some great noir-ish traveling music during Shirai’s labyrinthine route to his employer’s secret bank vault. Very cool.
The pacing of the film is superb, keeping the plot moving while also allowing for much needed character development. As a whole The Bad Sleep Well ranks among the top film noirs I’ve ever seen. It has all the sharp dialogue, dirty deeds, and shady characters of 40’s gangster film, but on top of that there’s an ambiguity that is all too lacking in films of the genre. Countless times throughout the course of the movie Kurosawa causes you to question not only the actions and motivations of the characters, but your only personal stance on the issues with which their faced. A solid rumination on the sometimes razor thin lines between justice, vengeance, and obsession, The Bad Sleep Well leaves an impression that is not easily forgotten.
Post Script: Sorry it took so long to get this post out (I’m apologizing more to myself than to anyone who may or may not be reading this) I’m trying to get back in the habit of writing for an audience, so I was kind of all over the place in terms of how I approached this review. Hopefully things will become smoother as time passes and I find my voice.
