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The final collaboration between Akiro Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune, 'Red Beard' is set in a rural hospital at the end of the Tokugawa period in the 1860s - a time when Japan was being opened to western influences. Domineering Dr Niide (Mifune), known as 'Red Beard', is responsible for training new doctors, among them the lazy and socially ambitious Yasumoto (Yuzo Kayama). However, through a series of lessons in human sufferings, Yasumoto is eventually transformed into a caring doctor.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Brett Evans
Format:VHS Tape
Red Beard (1965) is arguably Kurosawa's most humane film, and his probing of the human condition is at its most thorough. Set at the end of the Tokugawa period, a young man learns that he is to work as an intern at a public clinic in the slums of Edo, instead of the court medical staff to which he had aspired. He rebels by refusing to wear a uniform and by purposely breaking the hospital rules. The head of the clinic, Kyojo Niide (aka Red Beard) played by the great Toshiro Mifune, brings the young intern round after an insane patient attempts to murder him. It is Red Beard's hard-nosed thesis of the patient's condition that impresses him, and it is from here that he begins to take up his duties with sincerity, and face the degredation of the city's slums.
Laced with three-dimensional characters, and dialogue that eschews sentimentality, this is an epic concerning the human condition, and was sadly the last film that Kurosawa and Mifune would make together.
Laced with three-dimensional characters, and dialogue that eschews sentimentality, this is an epic concerning the human condition, and was sadly the last film that Kurosawa and Mifune would make together.
33 of 35 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:DVD
This is not, of course, the “Chinese” version (meaning the cheap Hong Kong version of the film, which is a sub-standard English translation of a Chinese translation of the original Japanese). This BFI edition of Red Beard comes with an excellent English subtitle translation, though minus the informative Stephen Prince commentary that graced the US Criterion release.
The film? Red Beard belongs in the short-list of Kurosawa masterpieces alongside Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Throne of Blood and Ikiru. In many ways it is the crowning achievement of one of the most fruitful director-star partnerships in cinema history. The great Toshiro Mifune plays the eponymous hero: a humanitarian doctor managing a clinic committed to the treatment of the poor. His charge becomes the education of a freshly graduated doctor, initially drawn to the wealthy, in whom he instils an understanding of the limits of medical knowledge and the importance of compassion. Thus it is another Kurosawa film about a master and pupil, this time with Death itself as the adversary against which the heroes battle. Astonishing attention to detail, – the period setting is fastidiously recreated – first-rate performances, and a director working at the peak of his powers. Strange to think that the breaking of the partnership would usher in a long period of doubt and artistic uncertainty for the master.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Red Beard was Kurosawa and Mifune's last collaboration, and it's not hard to see why the actor parted ways with his sensei even if the shoot hadn't dragged on for two years (during which time Kurosawa insisted he keep his beard, preventing him from taking other roles). Although it's not a bad film, Mifune is required more as a presence than an actor. Instead the focus is on Yuzo Kayama's arrogant young doctor furious at being assigned to a slum area hospital and his journey from pride to service.
In many ways it feels remarkably similar to The Cardinal, with even Masaru Sato's excellent score sharing much of the flavor of Jerome Moross' score for the Preminger film, albeit with a much more strident counterpoint in the final cue that stakes the films claim to militance over reverence. It's a heartfelt and humane film, but it tends to wander more towards soap opera as it moves unhurriedly to its foregone conclusion. That said, the totally gratuitous fight scene IS fun.
The BFI's DVD release offers nothin substantial in the way of special features, but does offer a good 2.35:1 transfer, although it is irritating that the subtitles are laid over the picture rather than set against the black border.
In many ways it feels remarkably similar to The Cardinal, with even Masaru Sato's excellent score sharing much of the flavor of Jerome Moross' score for the Preminger film, albeit with a much more strident counterpoint in the final cue that stakes the films claim to militance over reverence. It's a heartfelt and humane film, but it tends to wander more towards soap opera as it moves unhurriedly to its foregone conclusion. That said, the totally gratuitous fight scene IS fun.
The BFI's DVD release offers nothin substantial in the way of special features, but does offer a good 2.35:1 transfer, although it is irritating that the subtitles are laid over the picture rather than set against the black border.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Robhin
Format:DVD
Watching Red Beard is a deep meditating experience about human fragility, solidarity, commitment without naïveté. It shows an existentialistic view on the human condition through zen-buddhistic eyes without being complex. It 's made in a fascinating cinematographic formula they don 't create anymore, using a very 'patient' camera wich makes you observe people in detail. The sets and the environmental elements (light, darkness, rain, snow, water, dust, ...) 'colour' what happens. The acting is very convincing. If you 're looking for a movie to boost you mental, human battery watch Read Beard!
By Mr. N. Bell
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This film is 10 out of 10, as all Kurosawa films are. I would urge anyone interested in great films to put any Kurosawa film on their wish list.
6 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By "howellzuk"
Format:DVD
I had doubts about buying this before some of his other works as I(stupidly) doubted whether this was one of his best purely because it's nowhere near as talked about as such Kurasawa classics as Seven Samurai or Yojimbo. I can safely say though to anyone who has the same doubts that I had that this along with Throne of Blood and Ikiru is, in their own ways every bit as strong as the former and in my opinion better than the latter, which is still brilliant. OK, admittedly Seven Samurai is probably the most special of the Kurasawa films I've seen(only 7 thus far) but the director was also at the peak of his powers with the three I just mentioned. It's so poetic in it's vision that I'd certainly say it's the most beautiful film I've seen by Kurasawa. Favourite bit has to be the part where Sahachi in flashback mode explains the skeleton buried by his workshop. Cinema at it's most beautiful. Probably the most surprising thing of all though is the picture quality. I mean lord it's a miracle. BFI have actually realeased a classic with a good picture, unlike the other films I have bought by their company, especially Yojimbo which is treated shockingly bad. One of the masters definitive masterpieces.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
pure art.
I truly love this film. I would honestly cry and bleed for it. Please watch it.
Published on 3 May 2008 by M. Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars
Kurosawa-san's x-ray vision of life isn't at its best, but still...
Kurosawa further asserts his place as one of the great geniuses of film with this moving tale of an arrogant young doctor's growth into adulthood under the guidance of the learned... Read more
Published on 13 Dec 2007 by Mr. S. E. C. Norman
5.0 out of 5 stars
LAST BUT BY NO MEANS LEAST...
Red Beard is the last Kurosawa-Mifune collaboration. Based on this fact, I built up some kind of prejudice against this film. Read more
Published on 4 Jun 2007 by Perdurabo
5.0 out of 5 stars
"red beard", a real masterpiece!
Red beard is truely a masterpiece. no any other movies had ever effected me that much! by this film, Kurosawa has shown that he is not only a great film director but also a superb... Read more
Published on 5 Nov 2005 by B. Karamiani Moghaddam
2.0 out of 5 stars
Good and Bad
If this is the Chinese translation then don't buy it. The characters have all been given Chinese names (Po indeed?!? Read more
Published on 19 Sep 2003 by S. Oritis
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