IMDb RATING
8.0/10
14K
YOUR RATING
A vengeful young man marries the daughter of a corrupt industrialist in order to seek justice for his father's suicide.A vengeful young man marries the daughter of a corrupt industrialist in order to seek justice for his father's suicide.A vengeful young man marries the daughter of a corrupt industrialist in order to seek justice for his father's suicide.
- Awards
- 3 wins & 1 nomination
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe ideas for the film came from Akira Kurosawa's nephew, Mike Y. Inoue, who wanted to be a scriptwriter and was giving his scripts to his uncle. Kurosawa liked it and made suggestions, to which Inoue spent six months rewriting the script under the title "Bad Men's Prosperity." Kurosawa, along with several others, reworked it even more into the final version, though Inoue did not receive screen credit.
- GoofsWhen Nishi is trying to push Shirai out of the window, the brick wall outside of the window moves around - a lot.
- Quotes
Koichi Nishi: It's not easy hating evil. You have to stoke your own fury until you become evil yourself.
- Alternate versionsOriginally released at 151 in Japan; USA version removes 16 minutes of footage.
- SoundtracksBridal Chorus
(uncredited)
from "Lohengrin"
Music by Richard Wagner
Played at the end of the wedding ceremony
Featured review
Possibly The Darkest, Bleakest & Most Cynical Of All Akira Kurosawa's Films
Arguably the darkest, bleakest & most cynical of all Akira Kurosawa films, The Bad Sleep Well is an impressive amalgamation of assured direction, excellent writing & solid performances that not only works as an effective & engaging revenge drama but also serves as a sharp critique of corporate corruption.
The story begins with a masterly curated wedding sequence that aptly introduces all the relevant characters, and paves its foundation by letting the news reporters provide background details about each through their gossips. The revenge plan is already in motion when the film starts, and that scene does well to bring us up to date.
The set pieces are refined, detailed & beautifully lit while the fluid camerawork & crisp greyscale photography provide the imagery its rich intensity & timeless flair. Editing is carried out well for the most part but pacing does slip a little before the third act. All the actors play their roles responsibly, plus it's got Takashi Shimura in a rare villainous role.
Overall, The Bad Sleep Well finds Akira Kurosawa in complete control of his craft, and is yet another quality addition to the legendary auteur's oeuvre. Maintaining its firm grip on audience, the film is tense, captivating & thrilling for the majority of its 151 mins runtime before culminating with an ending that hits close to real-life. In short, an underrated & underseen gem.
The story begins with a masterly curated wedding sequence that aptly introduces all the relevant characters, and paves its foundation by letting the news reporters provide background details about each through their gossips. The revenge plan is already in motion when the film starts, and that scene does well to bring us up to date.
The set pieces are refined, detailed & beautifully lit while the fluid camerawork & crisp greyscale photography provide the imagery its rich intensity & timeless flair. Editing is carried out well for the most part but pacing does slip a little before the third act. All the actors play their roles responsibly, plus it's got Takashi Shimura in a rare villainous role.
Overall, The Bad Sleep Well finds Akira Kurosawa in complete control of his craft, and is yet another quality addition to the legendary auteur's oeuvre. Maintaining its firm grip on audience, the film is tense, captivating & thrilling for the majority of its 151 mins runtime before culminating with an ending that hits close to real-life. In short, an underrated & underseen gem.
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- CinemaClown
- Jun 12, 2020
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Hudobni mirno spijo
- Filming locations
- Aso Kuju National Park, Kyushu, Japan(volcanic area)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- ¥82,540,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $46,808
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $15,942
- Jul 28, 2002
- Gross worldwide
- $46,808
- Runtime2 hours 31 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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![Toshirô Mifune in The Bad Sleep Well (1960)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTI5NzA3NGQtYmRhNy00MThkLWIwM2YtYjI2MGI5NzIyYzkxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc5NjEzNA@@._V1_QL75_UY133_CR2,0,90,133_.jpg)