The Bad Sleep Well (1960)

8.0Not Rated151 minDirector: Akira Kurosawa

1960 film by Akira Kurosawa

The Bad Sleep Well (Japanese: 悪い奴ほどよく眠る, Hepburn: Warui Yatsu Hodo Yoku Nemuru; lit.'The worse they are, the better they sleep') is a 1960 Japanese neo-noir crime mystery film directed by Akira Kurosawa. It was the first film to be produced under Kurosawa's own independent production company. It was entered into the 11th Berlin International Film Festival.

The film stars Toshiro Mifune as a young man who gets a prominent position in a corrupt postwar Japanese company to expose the men responsible for his father's death. It draws upon Shakespeare's Hamlet, while doubling as a critique of corporate corruption. It is one of four films, along with Drunken Angel (1948), Stray Dog (1949) and High and Low (1963), in which Kurosawa explores the film noir genre. Like Kurosawa's next two movies with Mifune, Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962), Mifune's character is "a lone hero fighting against overwhelming odds and corrupt authorities."

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is The Bad Sleep Well about?
The Bad Sleep Well (1960) — It is a high-profile wedding: the daughter of Mr Iwabuchi, a wealthy businessman, is marrying Mr Nishi, a car salesman. However, Mr Iwabuchi and other senior members of his company are suspected of corporate malfeasance and the wedding becomes a bit of a farce, with the press swa
Is The Bad Sleep Well based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is The Bad Sleep Well scary?
Content rating: Not Rated. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.