I Live in Fear

As the son of a man who left the USA in 1961 (for Australia, not Brazil), partly to avoid the threat of nuclear war, it is interesting to see this issue thematised in terms of the parrhesiast who is bound to be seen as a melancholic madman (because he IS mad) by a collective who prefer denial to confrontation with a technologically-produced problem that is "too big for an individual". This theme might seem outdated to some, but in fact it precisely describes attitudes to our present situation.

Mifune's turn as the stubborn and troubled Nakajima is outstanding, and as the film goes on Kurosawa helps us sympathize by painting him as lonely and misunderstood. The entire family crumbles around a power struggle brought about by misgivings of both father and sons, and no one gets away unscathed. There are a few times when the movie just kind of carries on without any point, but on the whole it's quite compelling.

Seems a more brash and conflict-oriented version of Ozu's Tokyo Story. Mifune turns in one of his most unique performances, and the film has much of Kurosawa's wonderful framing.

A bit long for the amount of material it had to play with. Still a decent film with good performances. Felt a bit like a twilight zone episode

Mifune's performance is intense and captivating, as a paterfamilias character unlike any other I've seen him play. At first he's stubborn and indignant, then increasingly nervous and desparate. Kurosawa is smart not to give the movie too much of Nakajima's point of view, but instead leaves outside his fears looking in. I think it gives the viewer more room to decide just how paranoid Nakajima is.

I saw a badly-subtitled version, which effects the rating. Mifune, as a physical actor, is flawless as a character nearly twice his actual age.

Rod Serling must have seen this

Sagitário

A relatively minor Kurosawa film ... especially since it falls between "Seven Samurai" and "Throne of Blood" and pales in comparison ... but even minor Kurosawa Of particular interest for seeing 35 year old Mifune playing a man in his 70's, and seeing a lot of the cast of "Seven Samurai" in a contemporary drama.

Even considering that subtlety can get lost in translation, there were a lot of lines in this that were way too on the nose. Mifune is brilliant as usual.

Very unsubtle, and the ending gets a bit ridiculous, but it's compelling and interesting, and there are some really good scenes, even if it doesn't come together as a whole. Actually thinking about it now, I can't really figure out if it's arguing for or against nuclear paranoia (personally I was on the side of the kids) but it also kinda works as a parable against the dangers of all forms of paranoia (germophobia for example), even if the film itself views its protagonist as a modern Cassandra.

The themes of family conflict and fear really hit home, even if the presentation has a tendency to wander. Wonderful direction and performances as well.

74.500

"Is he crazy? Or are we, who remain unperturbed in an insane world... The crazy ones?"

A great demonstration of the impossibility of rationality. It isn't often recognized that we are forced to dwell in an existence that coerces us into naming it rational when it is not clearly so. It becomes madness when we can't ignore the tension and the compromise.

Good film, but it lacks the intensity the material requires. What starts off as an intense family struggle spurred by fears of the atomic age turns into a slow boiling descent into eccentricity that heavyhandedly smashes its point home again and again. It's a film structured to be ripe for examination but falters when it comes to making one want to examine it. What's there is good, but could have been much more, leaving me disappointed with the film's inability to capitalize on its potential.

72.625

In his last scenes, Mifune finds a tragic dignity in the personal disintegration of his character, suggesting what a fine King Lear he might have been if only he and Kurosawa had made "Ran" together. Unfortunately, Mifune, in his mid-thirties, wasn't yet ready for Lear: his make-up is poor, and the rest of his performance is second-rate, relying on a showy old-man walk and grumpy-old-samurai grimaces. Takahashi Shimura, in his small role as a family court judge, is much more interesting.

"Baka!"

Another great Kurosawa film here, thanks to Criterion for putting it out (through Eclipse). Wonderful performances by Mifune, Kyoko Aoyama (Sue), Takashi Shimura and Minoru Chiaki (Jiro) -- hell everyone in this was fantastic!