Directed by
Akira Kurosawa

Writing credits
Shinobu Hashimoto
Akira Kurosawa

Genre: Drama / Fantasy (more)

Plot Summary: Episodes from the lives of a group of Tokyo slum-dwellers: Rokkuchan, a retarded boy who brings meaning... (more)

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yoshitaka Zushi .... Rokkuchan
Kin Sugai .... Okuni, Rokkuchan's Mother
Toshiyuki Tonomura .... Taro Sawagami
Shinsuke Minami .... Ryotaro Sawagami
Y�ko Kusunoki .... Misao Sawagami
Junzaburo Ban .... Yukichi Shima
Kiyoko Tange .... Mrs. Shima
Michio Hino .... Mr. Ikawa
Keiji Furuyama .... Mr. Matsui
Tatsuhei Shimokawa .... Mr. Nomoto
Kunie Tanaka .... Hatsutaro Kawaguchi
Jitsuko Yoshimura .... Yoshie Kawaguchi
Hisashi Igawa .... Masuo Masuda
Hideko Okiyama .... Tatsu Masuda
Tatsuo Matsumura .... Kyota Watanaka
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Also Known As:
Clickety-Clack (1970)
Dodes'ka-den (1970) (alternative transliteration)
Runtime: 140 min
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Color: Color (Eastmancolor)
Sound Mix: Mono (Westrex Recording System)


Date: 19 April 2000
Summary: Underrated Kurosawa

This one tends to get slighted by a lot of critics and Kurosawa fans, but I thought it was wonderful. It's an episodic multi-character study of Tokyo's poorest, who live in a city literally made from garbage. Though it looks like an A-Bomb just hit, the film has a sort of serene beauty thanks to the glorious use of Technicolor. The title comes from the sound made by the insane young man who drives an imaginary trolley through the slum. All the characters were wonderful and all the stories engrossing, but perhaps the most tragic concerns the man and his young son who live in an abandoned car. When not searching for food, they spend their spare time using their imagination to build their dream house. An emotionally moving and beautiful film.