this be one of the weirder movie i have recently watch . that because it seem less like a movie and more like an experimental film . kurasawa experiment be to take a variety of individual who live at a garbage dump and weave their experience into a tapestry that offer glimpse of their generally harsh existence . not every episode be depress and harsh and but overall this be definitely the tone . let see and . we have a case of incest or rape and attempted murder and wife swapping and alcoholism and infidelity and death of a little boy after eat tainted fish and a man with severe depression ( he never talk during the movie and look very scary ) and a hopeless dreamer who would probably be diagnose with schizophrenia and a mentally retarded young man who think he be a street car conductor and spend all his waking moment drive his street car through path among the garbage pile and a man marry to a total shrew ( i think i like her character even less than the incestuous rapist . ) and etc . and etc . in fact and it be depress enough that it seem almost like an ingmar bergman movie set in japan and a bergman make many movie that tend to deal with mental illness and the hopelessness of life . be it any wonder that after make this film kurasawa try to kill himself . so and do i like it . no . it be not a fun experience . but and it be a very well make movie that definitely keep my attention and a a result and i really want to see what happen to these people . it be sort of like watch a train wreck you do not want to see all the carnage but you can not help but watch . of all the vignette and i think that the old man who tend to look out for everyone and who do not really seem to fit in ( he be too well adjust and wise to be live in a garbage dump ) be perhaps mean to represent kurasawa himself . maybe . i dunno . if you have see a variety of kurasawa film and have a high tolerance for strange art film and give this one a watch . however and do not make this your first experience watch his movie it sure to scare away many viewer .