Review of Drunken Angel (1948) by Michael G — 21 Oct 2010

Drunken Angel will not go down as one of my most memorable Kurosawa viewings. To his credit, its one of his earlier outings and despite the fantastic chemistry between Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura and some fantastic shots (any shot of the swap is magnificent) you can tell.

The story between an alcoholic doctor and a tuberculosis-ridden thug never seemed to gain the momentum it needed to be noticably successful and despite the gradual return of Mifune's boss, it never seemed smoothly incorporated into the story.

But that's just me. Not a bad watch and worth the time but not the most ideal starting point for someone beginning a Kurosawa quest.