70.375

One of Kurosawa's more imaginative and compelling works of intense humanism. Deserving of more praise.

Expressionistic color highlights this series of vignettes featuring characters from the Tokyo slums: a retarded boy obsessed with streetcars, a teenage girl abused by her uncle, a cuckolded weaver and his repentant wife--and others. There is little hope in this world, but the colorful vision of a beautiful house being "built" by a poor car-dweller and his small son, plus the bright images of streetcars painted by the retarded boy suggest that the human imagination can redeem even such squalor.

Kurosawa's expressionistic masterpiece. From beginning to end this is a beautiful and melancholic depiction of the lows of life and the presence of hope even in the darkest places. Every character is wholly fleshed out and the interweaving of the parts allows it to be not just a bunch of great stories but an incredible commentary on life. OF course, I also have to mention the plethora of great performances and most of all the strikingly colourful visuals.

Pretty impressive to be able to develop that many characters in 140 minutes.

a whole bunch of stories here, all of them are good, none of them are explored very deeply. on the whole kurosawa's first color movie is one that any fan should watch with anticipation

One of Kurosawa's strangest and most interesting films. Despite being set among such despair, the mosaic of eccentric characters are threaded together with whimsy, and I think it's ultimately optimistic and life-affirming. The color palette is unorthodox and expressionist. My only complaint is that it's a little overlong.

# 777

This film is bleak, bleak, bleak. An anamoly in Kurosawa's career. This type of multi-threaded plot is very unusual for him, but it works quite well. Every thread is compelling drama with interesting characters, except the one about the weaver and Ocho. It's also our introduction to his unusual sense of color, which is always startling, but here it's almost brutal. The visions of the imaginary house are incredible. One of my favorites from his post-Mifune years.

One of the more distinctive of Kurosawa's films, on a par with his late film, Dreams. As in most of Kurosawa's late period, he makes use of vibrant colors, through lighting, set design, and painting. He also color-coordinates some of the characters with their surroundings, while others stand out. The film sets out to offer a slice of life in the slums, and in so doing, Kurosawa is able to humanize each of these characters, even those we find unlikable. Really a beautiful film.