The Idiot (1951)

A gentle, war-shattered ex-soldier, Kinji Kameda, arrives in wintry Hokkaidō and is pulled into a volatile tangle of love and pity between the disgraced Taeko Nasu, the proud Ayako, and his possessive friend Akama. Kameda’s saintly compassion exposes everyone’s wounds, steering the quartet toward jealousy, violence, and inexorable tragedy. Adapted from Dostoevsky’s novel.

Genres: Drama, Romance

What to watch after The Idiot

• Scandal (1950) — Akira Kurosawa directed both
• I Live in Fear (1955) — Same subject: post war japan
• Dodes'ka-den (1970) — Akira Kurosawa directed both
• Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) — Two steps away in the credits
• Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955) — Toshirō Mifune appears in both
• Late Autumn (1960) — Same subject: literature