The 1970 film “Dodes’ka-den” has always been a puzzling piece of the Akira Kurosawa canon. Despite its cred – an Academy Award nomination as Best Foreign-Language Film and the distinction of being the director’s first color film – audiences did not embrace it during the film’s theatrical release. The film’s commercial failure in Japan compounded a myriad of professional and personal problems that pushed Kurosawa to a suicide attempt. Outside of Japan, it was barely seen on the big screen – a U.S. release didn’t take place until 1974.
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