The Idiot (1951) on Netflix
A war veteran called an idiot, Kinji Kameda, travels to snowy Hokkaido. He befriends Denkichi Akama and meets the disgraced Taeko Nasu, whom Akama wants to marry and Kameda wants to help.
- Watch on NetflixThis title is not on Netflix right now. Please check back later for updates.
- Watch on Prime
- Watch on NordVPN
- Netflix3.2/5
- IMDb7.1/106,323 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes64%
Plot summary
Kinji Kameda, a veteran confined to a mental asylum after being mistaken for a war criminal and nearly executed, travels to Hokkaido. On the ship he befriends Denkichi Akama, who is returning to claim his inheritance and hopes to marry Taeko Nasu. Taeko has been the kept mistress of the wealthy Tohata, who now offers a dowry to any man who will take her. Mr. Ono, Kameda's only relative, has brokered the offer with Mutsuo Kayama, who loves Ono's daughter Ayako. When Kameda reaches Sapporo, he meets Taeko and is moved by her sadness, while he also becomes drawn to Ayako. Akama is possessive of Taeko and resents Kameda's closeness to her.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Idiot (1951)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The film was originally intended to be a two-part film with a running time of 265 minutes. After a single, poorly received screening of the full-length version, the studio severely cut it against Kurosawa's wishes; when the re-edited version was also deemed too long, Kurosawa sardonically suggested cutting the film lengthwise instead.
- According to Japanese film scholar Donald Richie, there are no existing prints of the original 265-minute version. According to Alex Cox, Kurosawa is said to have searched Shochiku's archives for the original cut to no avail.
- The Idiot was the first feature film to depict the Sapporo Snow Festival, an annual event in Sapporo, Hokkaido that began in 1950; in the film, Kameda and Ayako visit it and see its large snow sculptures.
