The Most Beautiful
1944 · 85 min
Directed by Akira Kurosawa. Written by Akira Kurosawa. Starring Takashi Shimura, Shôji Kiyokawa, Ichirō Sugai, Takako Irie.
Young women at a precision optics factory in wartime Japan push to exceed production quotas, enduring illness, injury, and personal hardship to “serve the country.” Led by Tsuru Watanabe, they fight fatigue and setbacks to keep their line moving—even when duty collides with grief.
Audiences 28% · streaming on Criterion Channel, Plex