A Rekuru Review of Kurosawa’s The Bad Sleep Well

Perhaps the most relevant and topical of all of Akira Kurosawa’s films today, The Bad Sleep Well is an intruiging tale of corrupt businessmen, corporate kickbacks, and bribery.

And while we sit in the mire of a recession (as a result of similar actions mind you), Kurosawa here provides not only a deep and suspenseful story but also a film full of laugh out loud comedic moments. And we’re talking some seriously funny stuff here.
Above: This scene is hilarious. This man just found millions of dollars, that he just reported stolen to the CEO, in his briefcase. He didn’t put it there.

Normally, this is where I’d discuss the film’s story but because the greatest asset to The Bad Sleep Well is its story (besides the humor) I’m going to keep the story details at a minumum. All you really need to know is that two corporations are under public scrutiny for possible unlawful activities, with the press in a frezny and the authoritites working to put the company execs behind bars. Fortuantely for the district attorney, there’s an informant within the company feeding information and clues to the police. Who is this informant? Why are they doing this? And what will happen to him/her when the company finds out? These are all questions just waiting to be answered and the only way you’re going to find them out is to see this movie.

Quite possibly one of his best works, Kurosawa’s The Bad Sleep Well is a fantastic, topical, thought-provoking, and often hilarious film. While you wouldn’t expect a movie dealing with these issues to have such comedic scenes, The Bad Sleep Well has just that and will have you laughing on more than one occasion. At the same time, amidst the hilarity, Kurosawa addresses human nature, greed, and the lengths some will go to when push comes to shove. What results is a fascinating film that’s well worth your time. Check it out.