Drunken Angel
Joidore tenši
Directed by:
Akira KurosawaCinematography:
Takeo ItôComposer:
Fumio HayasakaCast:
Takashi Shimura, Toshirō Mifune, Chieko Nakakita, Reizaburô Yamamoto, Reiko Mori, Taiji Tonoyama, Yoshiko Kuga, 進藤英太郎, Michiyo KogureVOD (1)
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In this powerful early noir from the great Akira Kurosawa, Toshiro Mifune bursts onto the screen as a volatile, tubercular criminal who strikes up an unlikely relationship with Takashi Shimura’s jaded physician. Set in and around the muddy swamps and back alleys of postwar Tokyo, Drunken Angel is an evocative, moody snapshot of a treacherous time and place, featuring one of the director’s most memorably violent climaxes. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (2)
The first movie to help Kurosawa become better known to viewers and critics. However, above all it is his first collaboration with Toshiro Mifune and thus the birth of one of the most fundamental and fruitful actor/director collaborations in the history of world cinema. Drunken Angel doesn't have a bad screenplay or actors, but it does get too lengthy and theatrical in some scenes. After all, Mifune was just getting started with his great performances, and Shimura doesn't have that much space here. This is true of the classic cut, and frankly I can't really imagine what the version that is almost an hour longer looks like. A weaker four star rating; in the end, it is a film that is interesting more because it brought together two greats of Japanese cinema for the first time, than because of its actual quality.
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It's the first film where Kurosawa is joined by Toshiro Mifune as an actor, and it's immediately a very good collaboration. Not only does Mifune show his mastery, but more importantly, Kurosawa shows where his strength lies - in a film with a story that mixes human elements with those that are not normal for ordinary people, like being a member of the Yakuza. And it works great.
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