As good a director as he was, Kurosawa sometimes let his keenness to get a point across undermine the quality of his films. This is the case with Red Beard, a picture best known for being the last in a long line of collaborations with actor Toshiro Mifune.
Kurosawa typically had a kind of mission statement with every film he made. During his 1960's output he appears to have become increasingly stubborn and obsessive in making a film for a reason. In the case of Red Beard, he was appalled at the number of poor quality ultra-violent Samurai flicks being churned out in the wake of his own recent action pictures, Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1963). As a backlash he decided to make a period picture with a peaceful, non-action theme, more of a pure drama. Furthermore, in an abandonment of the cynicism which had marked all his films from The Bad Sleep Well (1960) onwards, he declared that Red Beard was to be "a tribute to the goodness in humanity". There is nothing wrong with this is a basis for a film it's just that Kurosawa tries too hard.
Kurosawa was, or at least had been a director who handled emotional moments with skill. Consider for example the terminally ill hero in Ikiru (1952) drunkenly singing in the bar, or Kikuchiyo rescuing the baby in Seven Samurai (1954). Bearing these past triumphs in mind it's almost painful to see how he fails completely to achieve the same effect in Red Beard. Here the audience is practically bombarded with moments of strained poignancy. There is absolutely no subtlety, as one heavy-handed sob story after another is cranked out.
The problem is further compounded by the fact that Red Beard is structured as a series of short stories with the same setting, as patients come and go at the hospital. It's really very difficult to share any feeling with the characters because we never really get to know them we just hear about their past misery. Whenever characters cry (which happens all the time), it's difficult for the audience to connect to them. Eventually all the stories of grief and woe just start to sound ridiculous.
Of course, there is one overarching storyline, that of the young doctor Yasumoto's transformation from being a selfish snob who resents having to treat poor people, to a dedicated professional who takes satisfaction in his work. This is for me the most satisfying and engaging part of the plot. The most uplifting moment in the film is when Yasumoto wears his uniform for the first time, and is immediately greeted with greater respect from both colleagues and patients.
And, in spite of his poor judgement with the plot, Kurosawa's direction is still of good standard and there are plenty of marks of quality. He matches the warm, sensitive tone of the film with a delicate approach to his shot composition, and a slow and measured pace to each scene. In the first half of the film, he shows Yasumoto's feelings about having to work at the clinic by shooting the interiors in such a way that they appear cramped and confining. When Yasumoto dons his uniform the spaces begin to open out and a little more light is let in. There's also a sly nod towards Kurosawa and Mifune's earlier pictures in the film's only real action sequence. It's choreographed just like the frantic arm-chopping scene from Yojimbo, but rather than drawing a sword Mifune is instead twisting limbs and cracking bones in a completely bloodless fight.
It's a pity that this was Mifune's swansong with Kurosawa, not just because it's a poorer film, but also because Mifune is somewhat sidelined to a secondary role (in spite of being the titular character), and it's not a performance where he really gets to flourish. While Mifune continued to be much in demand as an actor he only had a few memorable roles after this. Kurosawa's output slowed down considerably after Red Beard and it would be a long time before he was back on top form.
Kurosawa typically had a kind of mission statement with every film he made. During his 1960's output he appears to have become increasingly stubborn and obsessive in making a film for a reason. In the case of Red Beard, he was appalled at the number of poor quality ultra-violent Samurai flicks being churned out in the wake of his own recent action pictures, Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1963). As a backlash he decided to make a period picture with a peaceful, non-action theme, more of a pure drama. Furthermore, in an abandonment of the cynicism which had marked all his films from The Bad Sleep Well (1960) onwards, he declared that Red Beard was to be "a tribute to the goodness in humanity". There is nothing wrong with this is a basis for a film it's just that Kurosawa tries too hard.
Kurosawa was, or at least had been a director who handled emotional moments with skill. Consider for example the terminally ill hero in Ikiru (1952) drunkenly singing in the bar, or Kikuchiyo rescuing the baby in Seven Samurai (1954). Bearing these past triumphs in mind it's almost painful to see how he fails completely to achieve the same effect in Red Beard. Here the audience is practically bombarded with moments of strained poignancy. There is absolutely no subtlety, as one heavy-handed sob story after another is cranked out.
The problem is further compounded by the fact that Red Beard is structured as a series of short stories with the same setting, as patients come and go at the hospital. It's really very difficult to share any feeling with the characters because we never really get to know them we just hear about their past misery. Whenever characters cry (which happens all the time), it's difficult for the audience to connect to them. Eventually all the stories of grief and woe just start to sound ridiculous.
Of course, there is one overarching storyline, that of the young doctor Yasumoto's transformation from being a selfish snob who resents having to treat poor people, to a dedicated professional who takes satisfaction in his work. This is for me the most satisfying and engaging part of the plot. The most uplifting moment in the film is when Yasumoto wears his uniform for the first time, and is immediately greeted with greater respect from both colleagues and patients.
And, in spite of his poor judgement with the plot, Kurosawa's direction is still of good standard and there are plenty of marks of quality. He matches the warm, sensitive tone of the film with a delicate approach to his shot composition, and a slow and measured pace to each scene. In the first half of the film, he shows Yasumoto's feelings about having to work at the clinic by shooting the interiors in such a way that they appear cramped and confining. When Yasumoto dons his uniform the spaces begin to open out and a little more light is let in. There's also a sly nod towards Kurosawa and Mifune's earlier pictures in the film's only real action sequence. It's choreographed just like the frantic arm-chopping scene from Yojimbo, but rather than drawing a sword Mifune is instead twisting limbs and cracking bones in a completely bloodless fight.
It's a pity that this was Mifune's swansong with Kurosawa, not just because it's a poorer film, but also because Mifune is somewhat sidelined to a secondary role (in spite of being the titular character), and it's not a performance where he really gets to flourish. While Mifune continued to be much in demand as an actor he only had a few memorable roles after this. Kurosawa's output slowed down considerably after Red Beard and it would be a long time before he was back on top form.