Drunken Angel
A hard-edged postwar noir about an alcoholic doctor and a tuberculosis-stricken gangster whose uneasy friendship collides with yakuza power.
Overview
A gripping tale of survival and redemption in post-war Japan.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- bleak
- brooding
- melancholic
- classic cinema night
- film noir marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praise Kurosawa's forceful imagery, fluid cinematography, acting, and morally charged portrait of postwar Japanese society, while some find its gangster melodrama familiar.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The bombed-out city, stagnant pond, shadowed interiors, and pervasive criminality create an oppressive noir environment.
Matsunaga's tuberculosis forces him to confront the fragility of his gangster status and future.
The film places alcoholism, tuberculosis, yakuza loyalties, and bombed urban spaces within postwar Japan.
The alcoholic doctor Sanada and gangster Matsunaga repeatedly clash while becoming emotionally entangled through treatment.
Films like Drunken Angel, and why
Bicycle Thieves
postwar social realism, moral conflict, and the corrosive effects of criminal underworlds
A Streetcar Named Desire
morally serious gangster melodrama centered on a charismatic, volatile criminal protagonist
I Live in Fear
japanese crime drama combining noir atmosphere, social observation, and institutional disillusionment
Paisan
postwar italian neorealist concern with damaged societies and ethical survival
Movie Details
- Director
- Akira Kurosawa
- Release Date
- 1948-04-27
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (322)
Cast
- Takashi Shimura
- Toshirō Mifune
- Reizaburo Yamamoto
- Michiyo Kogure
- Chieko Nakakita
- Noriko Sengoku
- Shizuko Kasagi
- Eitarō Shindō
- Masao Shimizu
- Taiji Tonoyama
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Drunken Angel about?
- A hard-edged postwar noir about an alcoholic doctor and a tuberculosis-stricken gangster whose uneasy friendship collides with yakuza power.
- What is Drunken Angel like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Drunken Angel as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Drunken Angel violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Drunken Angel as moderate.
- What did critics think of Drunken Angel?
- Critics broadly praise Kurosawa's forceful imagery, fluid cinematography, acting, and morally charged portrait of postwar Japanese society, while some find its gangster melodrama familiar.
- Which films are like Drunken Angel?
- Films with a similar feel include Bicycle Thieves, A Streetcar Named Desire, I Live in Fear, and Paisan.
- How long is Drunken Angel?
- Drunken Angel runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch Drunken Angel?
- In United States, Drunken Angel streams on Criterion Channel.
