Dear Internet,
I seem to
be writing you again from the land of the rising sun, which will I will most
likely be in for a while I imagine.
Today's card was "The Bad Sleep Well," a 1960 government and
political corruption tale that draws inspiration from Shakespeare's "Hamlet." But you already knew that right? Akira Kurosawa of "Seven Samurai" and
"Rashomon" fame directed and produced this film, so I knew I was getting
myself into deep water before even plunging into it.
The story revolves
around a kickback scheme of some years prior to the beginning of the story. It is through the comments of journalists that
the viewer must learn much of the opening story elements, and this is where
"The Bad Sleep Well" lags for the first half of the movie. There is such an information dump within the
first scene of the movie that for the next hour I was still collecting my bearings.
There are so many names, corporate
positions and relationships rushed out that it became difficult to differentiate
between vital information and throw away data.
The film wants to jump a bit quickly into the fray. Thankfully, the second half of the film slows
down enough for the vital characters and plot to shine.
The individuals
in "The Bad Sleep Well" are so thoroughly fleshed out that it warrants
the overall length and slow tempo. Everyone
from the protagonist seeking vengeance and justice for his dead father to the
meek scapegoat clerk who has to witness both his wife and daughter grieve at a bodiless
funeral receive attention to full character creation. One of the strongest points of the film is
its ability to prevent the black and white moralities from all mixing together
to make a series of grays like other vengeance stories do. For example, our hero, Koichi Nishi, marries
his enemy's daughter, Yoshiko Iwabuchi, in an attempt to get closer to
him. Throughout the film Nishi is
conflicted with having used Yoshiko for his own ends, but he always respected
her as a woman stopping himself from using her in his plans and eventually
falls in love with her. Elsewhere, Nishi
discusses the numerous crimes that he has committed through the course of his
vengeance including identity fraud, matrimonial fraud, unlawful detention, kidnapping,
etc. However, Nishi says that after all
this he will still be able to hold his head up high and give himself. He separates his actions as different as
those that the film's villains committed because his ends are not benefiting
himself but are to stop those that steal both money and lives.
The main
villain, Vice President Iwabuchi, is one of the lagging aspects of the film and
this deals heavily with the final resolution.
Throughout the film, Iwabuchi is touted as a cold and heartless individual
who orders weak subordinates to suicide or has them killed by thugs. I am perfectly alright with such a
character. His portrayal as an embezzlement
king pin is spot on with all the actions he commits both in person and orders
from others. The point that the film
leaves off is his role as a father.
Yoshiko time and time again tells of how she finds it hard to believe
her father is so ruthless because of how kind he is to her. Even her brother comments that their father
loved her enough for two after their mother dies. This character identity as both a criminal
and father goes a bit out the window in the final scene. Instead of chasing after his now distraught
children who finally learn of everything that he has done, Iwabuchi instead
answers his ringing phone and talks to his superior about the secrets of the kickbacked
funds. The film closes with the reveal
that he is just a middleman himself bowing to an individual that is not even in
the room. There is no internal conflict
shown occurring with Iwabuchi as there are with the rest of the cast, no
struggle to show if he did everything for himself or for his family. This quick close only creates a crash with
the bitter end of the lack of final justice for the villains.
"The Bad
Sleep Well" is a good movie that suffers from a slow start quick ending,
which is a rarity. It is the journey
that makes it unique but that is not saying much considering that is what separates
one movie from another. What makes it
worth watching is the slow unraveling of the plot that does not speed along
despite the quick thrust of its first scene.
The joy comes from the numerous "Oh, I get it," moments throughout that
are a key to the suspense genre.
Yours in Digital,
BeepBoop
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