This film simply meanders around in a most depressing manner going exactly nowhere. There is no story other than the unrelenting poverty of its characters. And you could have ended the movie at any number of points with no impact. It was almost like they realized they were running out of film and decided to wrap it up with a shot of the trolley boy parking his trolley for the night.When you watch this movie you will swear time has stopped. It is dreadfully slow and depressing. You do feel sad for characters trapped in this squalor without a hope in the world of getting out of it, but at the same time you can't help telling yourself that you don't mind growing old but you do mind growing old watching this movie.Kurosawa is a great filmmaker but this is a soulless movie with no redeeming qualities.