Forget moral intent (don't shame Boston, buddy), as it has never been one of K. Kurosawa's goals in his films. What is here is his typical great, atmospheric camera work, an excellent storyline and complex characters. By the way, the temporal order of the film is not in the least confusing, the principal has a flashback or two, but they are not obtuse at all. That said, this is probably one of the few movies Kurosawa has made of late which betrays his sense of humor. I may be going a bit far here, but it may be the blackest comedy EVER. Just have a look at the flashback at the end and the cheesy credit music tell me its not supposed to be a bit humorous. Anyhow, a great film by a great director, even though it was made on a limited budget with the same actors and crew from what could be called its sister film, "Eyes of the Spider" (Kumo no hitomi).
