Not even close to being among the best of Kurosawa’s films, but very interesting from a historical perspective.

The Most Beautiful is Kurosawa’s second film and is quite different than the rest of his films because it is a WWII Japanese propaganda film about women working in a precision optical instruments factory who have to endure the death of parents, illness, and various hardships while coming to the aid of their country.

One of the reviewers at IMDB says the title, The Most Beautiful, cannot be understood in normal English terms. What it refers to is those whose minds are “most beautiful”. In otherwords, the most beautiful are those whose minds are most patriotic and nationally pure. Those who are willing to not go home to their dying parents and are willing to sacrifice themselves (their health, parents, well-being, etc.) for the sake of their country.

Definitely nauseating by today’s standards, but worth watching!