The Bad Sleep Well

(1960)

★ 7.7 IMDb · 295 votes

Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Year: 1960

Runtime: 151 мин

Country: Japan

Director: Акира Куросава

Cast: Тосиро Мифунэ, Масаюки Мори, 藤原釜足, 加藤武, 香川京子, 三橋達也, Такаси Симура, 西村晃, Кю Садзанка, 松本染升

Plot

In this loose adaptation of "Hamlet," illegitimate son Kôichi Nishi climbs to a high position within a Japanese corporation and marries the crippled daughter of company vice president Iwabuchi. At the reception, the wedding cake is a replica of their corporate headquarters, but an aspect of the design reminds the party of the hushed-up death of Nishi's father. It is then that Nishi unleashes his plan to avenge his father's death.

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 swarming all over it. To add to the discord, the company officials are rather publicly reminded of an ignominious event which occurred a few years ago - a senior employee committed suicide by jumping from the 7th floor of their offices. Now other senior officials are committing suicide and it looks like it is related to that death of a few years ago.