(1951, b/w; Hakuchi, Japanese) Reduced by nearly 100 minutes from its extended Japanese version, the American release in 1963 of director Akira Kurosawa's adaptation (screenplay with Eijirô Hisaita) of the Russian novel is 166 minutes. Among his postwar films, this adaptation of Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky's story of a prince who temporarily recovers his sanity after a long illness with epilepsy in isolation from society before lapsing back again into unconsciousness, Kurosawa's tragic drama of a pure soul's destruction in a cruel world inhabited by rapacious people is presented in two parts: "Love and Agony" followed by "Love and Loathing."

Waking from a nightmare in a Tokyo train terminal, Kinji Kameda (Masayuki Mori) tells a stranger, Denkicki Akama (Toshirô Mifune), of his last-minute reprieve from death by firing squad, having been wrongly accused of war crimes in Okinawa (implying that at the close of the war the US executed large numbers of Japanese prisoners). Explaining that the pardon drove him insane, he refers to himself as an idiot, suffering from epileptic dementia, though he is not stupid, merely naïve, innocent, unworldly.

Having miraculously been spared from oblivion, Kameda, an atheist, has vowed to be kinder, more considerate toward everyone. However, at various times characters, unable to appreciate his wisdom, condemn Kameda as an "idiot" (imbecile). In many respects he appears saintly, pacifistically passive, seemingly incapable of acting or deciding in matters affecting his own self-regard.

Together during December the two men travel to Sapporo, a city on the northernmost island of Hokkaido; a winter blizzard seems to rage throughout the events. After having been disinherited by his father for stealing a diamond ring, Akama is returning home to claim his inheritance of a fortune following his father's death. Kameda, whom everyone had presumed dead, goes to the home of the Ono family, his relatives. The revelations of secrets and intrigues await both young men.

Soon after arriving in Sapporo, Kameda is struck by the eyes of a woman's portrait in the window of a photography studio; they remind him of the eyes (filled with reproach) of a 20-year-old soldier he watched killed by firing squad preceding his narrow escape from the same fate. The portrait is of Taeko Nasu (Setsuko Hara), the beautiful mistress - for 14 years since a child - of Mr Tohata (Eijirô Yanagi), who is about to be sold into marriage for 600,000 yen to Mutsuo Kayama (Minoru Chiaki), a secretary whose family operates an inn.

Kayama, however, is in love with Mr Ono's daughter, Ayako (Yoshiko Kuga), to whom he passes a letter in the care of Kameda; asking Kameda to read the letter aloud, she retorts: "Tell him I won't barter my friendship."

At Mr Tohata's residence, bursting into the scene from a snow storm, the rakish Akama comes to the aide of Kameda - "That man is a lamb!" - and proclaims an offer of a million yen for Taeko during her birthday party. Trusting Kameda implicitly (recognizing in him an astute gift for seeing into people's hearts), Taeko asks him to decide for her (to the astonishment of everyone in attendance) whether or not she should marry Kayama.

To a remorseful and apologetic Tohata's offer of marriage she laughs: "Never!" Soon to be penniless and castoff, the former kept woman at first recoils at Kameda's saying she is "pure" and would take her in as she is, thinking he is mocking her; then she confesses: "I've been waiting for someone like you." In a further attempt at mitigating shame, Mr Ono reveals that Kameda has come into possession of a large farm. "I can't ruin the innocent life of a child like you," says Taeko to Kameda before throwing her lot with Akama and tossing his bundle of one million yen into the fireplace. Everyone stares at Kayama, expecting him to rush forward to rescue the precious treasure from the flames.

In February with no let up in the snowfall, Akama takes Kameda to his dark and gloomy house, which matches the owner's personality, where Kameda urges Akama not to ruin his life by marrying Taeko, for whom he says he only wishes that she be happy. Akama, confessing that he equally loves and hates her, says he also hates Kameda except for when in his presence, which dissipates his anger entirely. After they swap charms, Akama giving Kameda his amulet for a simple stone, he also declares of Taeko: "I give her to you!" Kameda notices a new butcher knife near the stove with which Akama later chases after Kameda, inducing a fit and unconsciousness.

During Kameda's convalescence, Mrs Ono visits him; her sarcastic daughter Ayako, impetuous and changeable, has written a letter expressing a wish never to see him again, calling him "an invalid and an idiot." Having received a reprieve from Ayako, Kayama in better graces once again courts her.

Still jealous of Taeko's affection for Kameda (she wants to see him happy), though she is living with Akama, he is impatient for their wedding; but Taeko (who seems intent on crushing whatever happiness comes her way) insists on Ayako's wedding Kameda, toward which end she has been writing to Mr Ono's daughter, before agreeing to her own marriage. For Taeko, Ayako represents the ideal of womanhood ("She's everything I dreamed of being and everything we've lost"), though the two women have never met.

Unaware that red carnations are flower symbols of love (though not a Japanese tradition), Kameda has brought them for Ayako; he confesses his love for her when asked in front of her family and Kayama. (The language of flora as well as other Western influences are displayed and contrasted with Asian traditions in the movie, such as tables and chairs for dining in the Ono household but traditional seating on cushions on the floor with Akama and his mother.)

When Taeko asks, "Are you happy?" - Kameda, who has said his feelings for her are "a mystery" to himself, makes no answer. Finally in the presence of Ayako, with Akama witnessing, Taeko demands of Kameda that he choose either her or Ayako.

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