gavin6942
A Japanese veteran, driven partially mad from the war, travels to the snowy island of Kameda where he soon enters a love triangle with his best friend and a disgraced woman.Akira Kurosawa has said, "Of all my films, people wrote to me most about this one. I had wanted to make The Idiot long before Rashomon. Since I was little I've liked Russian literature, but I find that I like Dostoevsky the best and had long thought that this book would make a wonderful film. He is still my favorite author, and he is the one — I still think — who writes most honestly about human existence." First of all, for Kurosawa fans, it is a shame the full, uncut version of this film is lost. You might think that three hours is already a long movie (and you would be right), but apparently the original cut was more in the realm of five hours. Considering in retrospect that Kurosawa may be the greatest Japanese director of all time (it is him or Ozu), any footage would be valuable...For me, what I really like is the use of Dostoevsky. Surely the author never thought his book would be used in a Japanese film, with a Japanese setting, but he never would have expected a film at all. Like Kurosawa, Dostoevsky is possibly my favorite author. He has a way of capturing the psychology of man and putting it on paper in a way no one else ever has. I'm not sure if this is what Kurosawa means about "human existence" (I think not), but we clearly agree on solid source material.
goldgreen
Described as 'the most overlooked Kurosawa film', this statement should be taken at face value, not with the romantic idea it is unfairly overlooked. There is much that is brilliant here, but overall it is lesser and not greater than the sum of its parts. There are many brilliant scenes, where the film's many warring personalities are skilfully juxtaposed in individual frames; any aspiring film director would do well do study this. The ice skating scene from the ice festival where skaters wear ghoul masks is something Fellini appears to have lifted for the carnival scene in I Vitelloni. Also in one of her best ever roles (better than Tokyo Story), Satusko Hara is fantastic as the scorned ex-concubine who is in turns melancholy at her situation and vengeful. The Wicked Witch of the East from the Wizard of Oz was surely an inspiration here. Most at fault is the role of Masayuki Mori as the idiot Kameda, his long silences, lack of gesticulation and slowly spoken lines only serve to kill the viewer's attention. We never get to feel much sympathy with his infirmity; perhaps his best bits were cut by the studio from the four hour version that Kurosawa created? There is no resolution or epiphany as in the end to Ikiru. Plus Toshiro Mifune's character is basically little different to the unruly warrior from The Seven Samurai, where it really belongs. This is worth watching for some of its parts, but this is not and has never been a successful film. My personal favourites from Kurosawa are Stray Dog, Seven Samurai and Ikiru.
eigaeye
Comparisons between the original book and this film version are rather pointless, not least because the surviving version of the film is half the length of Kurosawa's original. One assumes that the use of bridging text and voice overlay early in the (released) film are there to substitute for action now edited out, anyway the story-lines of the book and the film deviate considerably.At more than two hours, the film still seems long to me, so I sympathize with the studio. But the main problem for me is the uneven casting. Masayuki Mori, as "the idiot", and Toshiro Mifune, as his rival in love for the courtesan, are unconvincing in their roles. Their scenes together are the weakest and tend to drag. On the other hand, Setsuko Hara as Taeko (the character corresponding to Dostoevsky's "Princess") and Yoshiko Kuga, as Ayako, her rival for the attentions of the "the idiot", are both exceptionally good. Their one scene together--a great clash of wills towards the end of the film--is riveting.The other star of this film is Hokkaido in mid-winter. Kurosawa must have commanded great loyalty (or just commanded) from his cast and crew, as there are many scenes shot outdoors in near blizzard conditions. I rate this 6.5. I do not feel that Kurosawa really has command of his material, even if only half of it made it to commercial release.
Myshkin_Karamazov
The Idiot:To me, Dostovesky's book is the Greatest story ever told. Akira Kurosawa adapted his beloved novel when he was at top of his creative prowess. Never fully-released, the film was to remain director's personal favorite for the rest of his life and his magnificent career. Even this vehemently studio-slaughtered cut, which unfortunately is the only version at hand, has retained some of the power, beauty, and, of course, humanity of the Maestro's original vision. Here is to its full recovery and restoration! 8/10
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