The Bad Sleep Well

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Akira Kurosawa's The Bad Sleep Well (1960) is usually regarded as a lesser effort in comparison to the director's other films. I would like to say that this is a shame because The Bad Sleep Well is yet another magnificent masterpiece from the Japanese auteur - a film that deserves praise as much as his other masterpieces. Here's a plot synopsis as simply put as possible: a young man attempts to take revenge for his father's murder committed by corrupt industrialists.

The film opens with a wedding scene that is not only one of the greatest scenes Kurosawa has made, but also one of the greatest openings for a film I've ever seen. The introduction of characters (and there are a LOT of them) and the plot exposition are so wonderfully handled in such a short time that I was totally flabbergasted. While the narrative isn't as dense during the rest of the film, The Bad Sleep Well is still a masterpiece of storytelling.  The characters are deep and intriguing throughout the film: the layers of Mifune's Nishi are gradually revealed throughout the film in a stunning way, and Mori's Iwabuchi is one of the greatest villains Kurosawa has ever created.

Kurosawa's form is very intense through powerful imagery (e.g. Nishi's and Yoshiko's meeting in the hideout), masterful camera movement and precise editing. The musical score succeeds in being very haunting and dramatic at the same time. Every member of the cast gives a wonderful performance, especially Toshiro Mifune and Masayuki Mori.

Kurosawa's The Bad Sleep Well is another example of Kurosawa's great contemporary dramas which should be seen by everyone.

Score: 10 out of 10

Once Upon a Time in America

Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America (1984) is regarded as one of the most important and brilliant gangster films alongside The Godfather and Goodfellas - and rightfully so. I would actually say that it is the best film made about mafia. Essentially the film is about 5 friends who commit crimes together as kids and the film reveals us how they end up later in life. The film is told in three periods: 1910's, 1930's and the 1970's. This film was Leone's last and it's a great ending for a career - only rivalled by Edward Yang's Yi yi in that regard.

Leone observes the twisted moral values of the main characters - especially how they change over time. He reveals just how corrupt and hideous these characters can be yet he makes them lovable in a peculiar way. The narrative is incredibly dense and even exhausting even though the film has a calm pace. The pace is certainly challenging, but once you get used to it you are rewarded.

The recreation of Brooklyn in those periods is painstakingly authentic - I wonder how they pulled it off so well for so many scenes on such an epic scale. Leone's cinematography is simply a wonder to look at. There weren't a lot of shots that didn't astound me in a way or another. Ennio Morricone's score is brilliant and reminded me a bit of Once Upon a Time in The West - which is only good.

When I saw the film for the first time I wasn't so amazed by it. I guess I watched expecting something else after I had seen Once Upon a Time in The West. However, this time I totally loved it and now I would call it one of the greatest American films I've ever seen.

Score: 10 out of 10