Bad Sleep Well (DVD)

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"The Bad Sleep Well" borrows not only from pulp fiction but from the Bard as well, "Hamlet" in this case. However, the adaptation is a loose one, and "The Bad Sleep Well" shouldn´t be lumped in with Kurosawa´s more faithful Shakespeare adaptations "Throne of Blood" (1957) and "Ran" (1986). The basic plot of a son working mole-like from within to prove that his father´s death was no accident is the most obvious reference, but Nishi is not precisely a stand-in for the melancholy Dane. All occasions inform against poor Nishi and spur his dull revenge, but he doesn´t even achieve Hamlet´s Pyrrhic victory.

You might find it odd to see Mifune play such a cool, reserved character, but only if you´ve never seen his brilliant performance in "High and Low" (1962). Mifune is an extraordinary physical actor, but here he gets to show just how multi-faceted he is. He emerges gradually in the film from background player to main protagonist and he shifts from cold, steely-eyed corporate warrior to compassionate, loving husband with the illusory ease that only a gifted actor can achieve.

While the film offers a fresh and complex take on the standard revenge yarn, the final act still feels bloated and unfocused. Kurosawa makes many bold choices, including the off-screen staging of the film´s climactic moment, but they don´t all work, and the brilliance of the film´s first half is diluted somewhat by its finale. Most of Kurosawa´s longer films are perfectly paced, but this noir would run leaner and fitter at something less than its two and a half hour running time.

VIDEO

The film is presented in its original 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio. This restored digital transfer is crisp and really showcases the high-contrast black and white photography by Yuzura Aizawa. Kurosawa and Aizawa take advantage of every inch of the widescreen image to create a visual experience that needs to be seen multiple times to be fully appreciated.

AUDIO

The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. The eclectic score by Masaru Sato is mixed well in this restored audio transfer.

EXTRAS

This is a stripped-down offering from Criterion. Aside from the trailer and the insert booklet, the only special feature is "Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create" (33 min.) Another episode of this Toho Masterworks television series was included on Criterion´s release of "Ran" last year. This episode deals, appropriately enough, with "The Bad Sleep Well" but offers little in the way of insight unless you are surprised to learn that Kurosawa "believed in cinema and its power."

CLOSING THOUGHTS

If you´re looking for the simple purity of "Kill Bill" you won´t find it here. Perhaps the darkest and most pessimistic of Kurosawa´s earlier films, "The Bad Sleep Well" is the rare revenge flick that holds its hero responsible for his actions and places him within the context of the society he tries so hard to deny he is part of. "The Bad Sleep Well" is not one of Kurosawa´s greatest achievements, but it is still a fine example of his mid-period work.

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