Dodes'ka-den (1970)

You won't find the titular term even in a Japanese dictionary, but I expect to remember it for a long time, because it is spoken many times in this Akira Kurosawa film. Specifically, it's teen Roku-chan's impression of a trolley sound as he shuffles around a slum all day. I'm not sure whether he hallucinates or just immaturely (as with mental retardation) likes to pretend to be a trolley driver, but children taunt him, adults generally avoid him, and his mom frets about him. His imagined world isn't ideal; he complains about lazy maintenance men. Nevertheless, he's probably happier than his neighbors.

Roku-chan is more a framing device than a protagonist; our attention is mostly on others in his unenviable environs. These include two filthy drunkards, an overworked and abused girl, a homeless man and his young beggar son, a cuckold who treats all his wife's kids as his own, a henpecked husband who stands up for his wife, a haunted-looking man who never speaks, and an elder gentleman quite kind to troublemakers. None of their stories really overlap; they just alternate in the spotlight.

I should also mention that none of their stories has a happy ending exactly. Few if any characters have reason to hope for a better future. Some don't have much of a story to begin with; this is more a slice of life for them. I'm afraid the most exciting moments, such as a stabbing, remain reported or implied, not depicted.

The elder may be my favorite character, but the beggars might be the most interesting to watch. The dad, at least, has a richer fantasy than Roku-chan's going on in his head as he envisions the mansion he'd have built, sometimes with input from his son, tho the boy tends to agree flatly as if not listening. In some ways, the dad shows more understanding of the world than I'd expect of a man in his so-called shoes. But when he gets too sure of his knowledge, it has dire consequences. I found myself caring more about their arc than about the rest.

This might be the Kurosawa movie with the greatest female presence, as driven home by several scenes of women talking at a well. I still won't apply the "Bechdel" tag, because I don't recall them ever not talking about men. Also, the ones who don't merely talk all have a sexual role to play, albeit not on screen (see above about exciting moments).

You might expect Kurosawa's first color picture to take strong advantage of the color. Well, it's rich in a few scenes, not least Roku-chan's home wallpapered with trolley drawings, but we're just as likely to see an emphasis on brown and gray. It is a shantytown and dumpsite, after all.

Although it took unusually little time to shoot, Dodes'ka-den marks the start of Kurosawa's later pattern of directing one movie every five years, coming midway between Red Beard and Kagemusha. He did not feel so good in this period, and poor domestic reception of this flick sure didn't help. I can see why Japan wasn't up for something so miserable, non-escapist, and low on plot progression. For my part, I considered quitting halfway through.

At the same time, I respect international audiences' respect for the piece. It is an artistic endeavor, to be sure, and Kurosawa was pushing boundaries in a new way. It's hard to think of other works like this. I might recommend Dodes'ka-den to people who dig old Academy Award-nominated foreign dramas, but with a caveat that it doesn't try hard to be enjoyable.