The movie is full of interesting choices, none of which really help push it into greatness or even goodness. Does it offer any of the following (assume “good” as the adjective): acting, characterization, plot mechanics, settings, action, themes? Not really, aside from the bright spot of Willem Dafoe’s pseudo-Van Helsing.
On theme, it rises to the level of interest. At the very least, it treats the sexual power of the vampire in a novel manner, leaning hard into repulsion, sickness,…
A spare drama about criminals on the run who evade pursuit by hiding in a series of increasingly remote vacation spots. Set in Nagano, its narrative economy stands in contrast to a visual relish in its alpine setting, with nice cinematography (limited by postwar equipment and—even after restoration—film damage) that highlights craggy peaks, shifting snows, and billowing clouds. The moral arc of the protagonist, one of the criminals, is obvious but broadly believable, and is achieved through a great performance from Takashi Shimura. Toshiro Mifune plays his sociopathic foil—sly, with an air of desperation and cruelty, but vital and attractive. A caged tiger.
