Gruff, alcoholic but dedicated doctor Sanada (Takashi Shimura) tries to help young, tubercular yakuza-gangster Matsunaga (Toshiro Mifune) against a background of a ruined, post-war Tokyo. The core metaphor of director Akira Kurosawa's shattered city is the fetid, garbage-filled pond at the center of the rundown slum of dilapidated markets and sleazy bars where Sanada serves as a physician and from which corruption spreads (Sanada frequently warns people, especially children, of the dangerous water). Despite taking place shortly after the end of the war in the Pacific, there is no sign of the Allied occupation force (although American styles, English signage and jazz music are all evidence of an unseen influence). The film is deeply existentialist. Sanada mocks Matsunaga's so-called yakuza values, which the young gangster later finds out to be base-less when he is betrayed by his honourless boss Okada (Reizaburô Yamamoto). Sanada also criticises the Japanese compulsion to sacrifice themselves for what they perceive as some higher ideal (and which ultimately led to ruination) and questions why his friend Miyo would want to return to her abusive gangster boyfriend out of some vague feeling of obligation, comparing her to a submissive puppy. In the end, Sanada is true to himself, he stays in the slums and fights TB because that is where he is needed. The aging physician tries to help Matsunaga, but the young patient is loath to give up everything he has been told to value: power and 'face', even if maintaining the façade of being a 'tough guy' will ultimately kill him. Shimura is outstanding as the doctor and viewers used to seeing him in kaiju adventures (including nonsense such as 1965's 'Frankenstein vs. Baragon') may be surprised at what an effective and versatile character actor he was. Mifune was also very good as the conflicted hoodlum, as is the rest of the cast. The cinematography is excellent and, as in many of Kurosawa's films, weather plays a role in setting the mood as people sweat in the oppressive heat and complain about the incessant mosquitoes (another legacy of the putrid standing water). Sadness and defeat permeates the story but the relatively up-beat ending brings some welcome hope to the images of a war-crushed society that has to rebuild by first examining its values. I watched what I assume to be recently English sub-titled version on TCM and felt that the 'slang' translations were not a good match the era of the story (especially the repeated use of the term "bro"). Excellent.
Review of Drunken Angel
