"Red Beard" is one of director Akira Kurosawa's best films. Interestingly, it is highly reminiscent of two of his other films--"Dodes'ka-den" and "The Quiet Duel". I could go into all the reasons why, but it's best that if you like "Red Beard" you also give these other films a try--you won't be disappointed.
The film is much like many of Kurosawa's films in that the importance of the peasant is the focus of the movie. The value of these people is strongly emphasized--despite a feudal society that saw them as expendable. Through the use of a haughty young doctor from a rich family who arrives at Red Beard's combination clinic/hospital, the director is able to show the nobility of the poor. The young man's opinions change towards these people he previously thought were beneath him as he is forced to make rounds in the hospital and surrounding community. Seeing men die, women getting operated on without anesthesia and the degradation of the poor has a strong effect on the young man--and the audience as well. Interestingly, however, despite Toshiro Mifune being the star, he is a shadowy figure through much of this film--appearing and disappearing for long stretches of the film. Instead, the film really is about this young doctor's journey and the effect the unorthodox Mifune has upon him.
Speaking of unorthodox, I loved some of Mifune's strange techniques to help the poor. In particular, I loved the great fight scene at brothel where he took on a gang of thugs to save one young girl as well as the way he occasionally used extortion on his rich patients in order to gain funds for his hospital! Great stuff--and well worth seeing because of the complex and rewarding plot. Exquisite.
The film is much like many of Kurosawa's films in that the importance of the peasant is the focus of the movie. The value of these people is strongly emphasized--despite a feudal society that saw them as expendable. Through the use of a haughty young doctor from a rich family who arrives at Red Beard's combination clinic/hospital, the director is able to show the nobility of the poor. The young man's opinions change towards these people he previously thought were beneath him as he is forced to make rounds in the hospital and surrounding community. Seeing men die, women getting operated on without anesthesia and the degradation of the poor has a strong effect on the young man--and the audience as well. Interestingly, however, despite Toshiro Mifune being the star, he is a shadowy figure through much of this film--appearing and disappearing for long stretches of the film. Instead, the film really is about this young doctor's journey and the effect the unorthodox Mifune has upon him.
Speaking of unorthodox, I loved some of Mifune's strange techniques to help the poor. In particular, I loved the great fight scene at brothel where he took on a gang of thugs to save one young girl as well as the way he occasionally used extortion on his rich patients in order to gain funds for his hospital! Great stuff--and well worth seeing because of the complex and rewarding plot. Exquisite.