How others will see it. Yes, the film is subtitled, in black and white, and set in Japan. Further, no one dresses up as a Samurai. Those who are disappointed in such things are welcome to watch 'reality' television shows instead. Those who enjoy detective films will be pleased, as will fans of legendary directory Kurosawa and his frequent leading man, Mifune. But this is truly a movie for those who appreciate quality, and fie on those who can't recognize it, or choose not to.
How I felt about it. Kurosawa is best known for his medieval Samurai epics. It's good to know that the settings of his great films also extended to the Japan of his own era. He is even able to evoke the magic of a baseball game, an appropriate pasttime for a hot summer day in the big city.
Cast against his future wildman type, Mifune is the conscientious lawman racked with guilt over his momentary carelessness, and no amount of reasoning, remorse, or atonement will assuage him.
Given his bottomless capacity for shame, and his status of the film's leading character, he reflects Japan's reputation as a country that quietly accepts suicide as a means of saving face. Hiroshi's report card has two C's on it? Better clean and sharpen the hari kari sword.
No, I don't recommend suicide, which denies all future because of a present action that has little significance in comparison with the value of a human life. Less extreme actions, such as sobbing like a new widow at her husband's wake because your partner was shot, also seem excessive. Mifune is as incorruptible as Serpico, but instead of complaining that other cops are crooked, he blames all of Japan's crimes on his role of a pickpocket victim.
Despite, or more likely, because of his persistent guilt, Mifune dedicates his life to tracking down the culprits. As far as we know, he has no friends or family. He lives solely for his police work. Fortunately, he's quite good at it. Marginal career criminals lead indirectly but inevitably to Yusa (Isao Kimura), the nervous sad man at the heart of the crime ring.
Mifune feels sorry for Yusa, not really able to associate his evil deeds with his hesitant and desperate personality. Shimura, on the other hand, has seen many Yusas, and knows that men must be judged by their actions and not their ideals.