Part of Akira Kurosawa: A Retrospective
In Akira Kurosawa’s powerful early noir — the earliest of his films to screen in this retrospective — 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.
“DRUNKEN ANGEL has…been cited by Kurosawa as the film in which the immature director finally ‘discovered’ himself. We can all be grateful for that self-discovery.” —Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle “A strange mixture of western genres (noir, melodrama, and even a little neorealism), a sign that Kurosawa preferred to diverge from Japan’s filmmaking conscious. This is a particularly effective exercise in style, technically accomplished and entertaining as all hell.” —Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader “A none-too-subtle allegory of post-war Japan — it's not above recruiting a smiling teen as a symbol of optimism — ANGEL finds both Kurosawa and Mifune still harnessing their talents. Even so, it's effective in its own right and a fascinating preview of films to come.” —Keith Phipps, The A.V. Club
