The chaotic worlds of the Japanese Mafia (Yakuza) and an alcoholic doctor collide in this film noir classic from Akira Kurosawa. Gangster Toshiro Mifune visits doctor Takashi Shimura, after an unfortunate incident with a bullet. The doctor, who despises the Yakuza, discovers the young man is suffering from tuberculosis, a disease symbolic of what is happening to the doctor and the community he serves. Facing his own anger and fear, the doctor aligns himself with the gangster’s world.

Released in 1948, Akira Kurosawa’s Drunken Angel is widely celebrated as his first true masterpiece. It revolutionized Japanese cinema by popularizing the gritty, psychological post-war yakuza film. The movie is a classic because it introduced Kurosawa’s trademark use of visual metaphors, deeply flawed human characters, and the legendary actor-director collaboration between Takashi Shimura and Toshiro Mifune.