72.625

A bit long for the amount of material it had to play with. Still a decent film with good performances. Felt a bit like a twilight zone episode

In his last scenes, Mifune finds a tragic dignity in the personal disintegration of his character, suggesting what a fine King Lear he might have been if only he and Kurosawa had made "Ran" together. Unfortunately, Mifune, in his mid-thirties, wasn't yet ready for Lear: his make-up is poor, and the rest of his performance is second-rate, relying on a showy old-man walk and a grumpy-old-samurai grimaces. Takahashi Shimura, in his small role as a family court judge, is much more interesting.

"Baka!"

Good film, but it lacks the intensity the material requires. What starts off as an intense family struggle spurred by fears of the atomic age turns into a slow boiling descent into eccentricity that heavyhandedly smashes its point home again and again. It's a film structured to be ripe for examination but falters when it comes to making one want to examine it. What's there is good, but could have been much more, leaving me disappointed with the film's inability to capitalize on its potential.

Mifune's turn as the stubborn and troubled Nakajima is outstanding, and as the film goes on Kurosawa helps us sympathize by painting him as lonely and misunderstood. The entire family crumbles around a power struggle brought about by misgivings of both father and sons, and no one gets away unscathed. There are a few times when the movie just kind of carries on without any point, but on the whole it's quite compelling.

Seems a more brash and conflict-oriented version of Ozu's Tokyo Story. Mifune turns in one of his most unique performances, and the film has much of Kurosawa's wonderful framing.

I saw a badly-subtitled version, which effects the rating. Mifune, as a physical actor, is flawless as a character nearly twice his actual age.

Mifune's performance is intense and captivating, as a paterfamilias character unlike any other I've seen him play. At first he's stubborn and indignant, then increasingly nervous and desparate. Kurosawa is smart not to give the movie too much of Nakajima's point of view, but instead leaves outside his fears looking in. I think it gives the viewer more room to decide just how paranoid Nakajima is.

Another great Kurosawa film here, thanks to Criterion for putting it out (through Eclipse). Wonderful performances by Mifune, Kyoko Aoyama (Sue), Takashi Shimura and Minoru Chiaki (Jiro) -- hell everyone in this was fantastic!