Akira Kurosawa's film, which is at once tragic and transcendent, depicts the daily lives of a group of people who are just scraping by in a slum on the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan. But no matter how hopeless their circumstances appear to be, each of them—the homeless father and son daydreaming about their dream house; the young woman molested by her uncle; the youngster who fantasizes about being a trolley conductor—finds reasons to continue their journey. At a difficult time in Kurosawa's life, he directed the unforgettable Dodes'ka-den. And in this, his beautifully filmed debut color film, he puts all of his dreams, concerns, and artistic passion on display for the world to see.