The idea of a film exploring the different generational perceptions and reactions to the atomic bomb in Nagasaki is a noble one and the subject certainly needs exposure. However, Kurosawa didn't quite pull off the mood with this one. The children's acting seems a little stilted, almost sitcom-ish, and their flat personalities do not create an appropriate contrast to the well-developed character of the grandmother. In a nutshell, the mood is incomplete because of poor acting or an underdeveloped screenplay-- and I'm not afraid to say so, despite the massive undertaking of talking about the atomic bomb.
Review of Rhapsody in August
