I have a different reaction to prior comments. While, by far, not Kurosawa's or Hara's best work, the piece carries strong meaning. It was much less about the anti-fascist movement that was quashed in the lead up to Japan attacking American and British interests in the Pacific: it's a story about personal redemption, and not, Yukie's redemption, albeit we do witness her growth and maturing in her character arc.

Instead, the first half of the film - rough as it is - is largely setup for the second half. Viewers need to understand who Yukie and Noge are, what he believes, and why he pays such a high price - losing first his family, then his life - to understand why Yukie is willing to go to the lengths she goes. And notice, we never have a scene of her saying "your son wasn't bad, he didn't do that horrible thing" with his parents. No, instead we have her being a good, considerate, caring daughter. She goes about life as a normal Japanese daughter would and thereby shows that Noge was good. After all, how could such a bad person pick such a good wife? Yukie's sacrifice is Noge's redemption. I was unsettled at the final scene in that it wasn't clear if the truck of farmworkers who stop for Yukie are below the mountain where the movie starts or in his hometown (thereby signalling the Noge family's redemption). I like to think the latter.

here kurosawa tries a 20's soviet movie. and what a movie it is.

Also known as 'No Regrets for Our Youth'.

Edit: I just got done with this. Made it about eighty minutes in, and had to shut it off. This was my 28th Kurosawa film, and easily the dullest one so far. Worth watching only as a list-completer.