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Trailer

Dodes'ka-den

1970Movie2 h 20 min

Drama
73
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.3Rotten Tomatoes73%77%
73
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.3Rotten Tomatoes73%77%

Summary

On a Tokyo dump’s shantytown edge, interwoven vignettes follow residents scraping by: a boy who “drives” an imaginary trolley, a homeless father and son designing a dream house, a young woman brutalized at home, drunks, schemers, and saints of small kindnesses. Kurosawa crafts a ragged mosaic of hardship, fantasy, and flickers of grace that keep people moving forward.

Good for

  • Friends night
  • Teens
  • Thought-provoking

Skip it if

  • You want fast pacing

Where to watch

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Not for warmth, comfort or laughs.

Movies with

Cast

24 of 32

Crew

Directed by
Akira Kurosawa
Written by
Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
Produced by
Yōichi Matsue
Music by
Tōru Takemitsu

Everyone

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

Facts

October 31, 1970 · 2 h 20 min · Disturbing Imagery

Released
October 31, 1970
Runtime
2 h 20 min
Content
Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Drama
Original language
Japanese
Made in
Japan
Available in
9 countries
Keywords
based on novel or book

Tropes

Mood Whiplash, Rape Discretion Shot, Title Drop +9

Q&A

5 questions, like "Where can I stream Dodes'ka-den?"

Questions about Dodes'ka-den

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Dodes'ka-den?

HBO MaxCriterion

In the United States, Dodes'ka-den streams on HBO Max and Criterion. It also streams in 5 other countries.

Is Dodes'ka-den worth watching?

73
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 73 (IMDb 7.3 and Rotten Tomatoes 73%).

Is Dodes'ka-den plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on pathos (9 of 10) and character depth (8 of 10) more than on its plot.

Is Dodes'ka-den in English?

Japanese

No, it was made in Japanese.

What tropes does Dodes'ka-den use?

Mood WhiplashRape Discretion ShotTitle DropUntranslated TitleGonkAs You KnowCool Old GuyImagine SpotDeath of a ChildCrapsack WorldHollywood AutismKids Are Crueland 14 more

TV Tropes lists 26 tropes for it, including Mood Whiplash, Rape Discretion Shot, and Title Drop.