The Bad Sleep Well (1960)

In this loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, illegitimate son Toshiro Mifune concocts an elaborate revenge plot to get back at the business executives whom he blames for his father’s suicide. Bringing the epic setting to post-war Japanese corporate culture, Kurosawa frames every shot with powerful deliberation. The tale rests firmly on Mifune’s more than capable shoulders, perfectly portraying a stoicism that barely conceals a seething rage underneath. The actor is not without support as the entire cast also thoroughly bring their characters to life.