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The Idiot

1951Movie2 h 46 min

DramaRomance
65
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.1Rotten Tomatoes60%73%

A deeply moving, melancholic drama movie about the mind and family, with standout performances and characters.

Good for date night · friends night · drop-in friendly

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood · you want fast pacing · you want to half-watch while scrolling

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Not for warmth, laughs or comfort.

Movies with

Story

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.

Feels like

  • Dostoevsky Adaptation
  • Post-War Japan
  • Psychological Drama
  • Tragedy
  • Moral Corruption
  • Heavy Themes
  • Character-Driven
  • Melancholic
  • Classic Film

Cast

14 of 14

Crew

Directed by
Akira Kurosawa
Written by
Akira Kurosawa, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Eijiro Hisaita
Produced by
Takashi Koide
Music by
Fumio Hayasaka

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

May 23, 1951 · 2 h 46 min · Violence, Suicide Themes

Released
May 23, 1951
Runtime
2 h 46 min
Content
Violence, Suicide Themes
Genres
Drama, Romance
Original language
Japanese
Made in
Japan
Available in
30 countries

Q&A

5 questions, like "Where can I stream The Idiot?"

Questions about The Idiot

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Idiot?

Criterion

In the United States, The Idiot streams on Criterion. It also streams in 29 other countries.

Is The Idiot worth watching?

65
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 65 (IMDb 7.1 and Rotten Tomatoes 60%). Audiences rate it higher (72 out of 100) than critics (60).

Is The Idiot good for date night?

Date NightPartner WatchAdultsFriends NightSolo Watch

Yes: romance is 6 of 10, and the viewing guide lists it for date night.

Will I feel good after watching The Idiot?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 8 of 10 for bleakness and 8 for melancholy, against 2 for hopefulness.

Is The Idiot in English?

Japanese

No, it was made in Japanese.