Red Beard (1965)

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring:Yûzô Kayama, Toshirô Mifune, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Reiko Dan, Miyuki Kuwano, Terumi Niki
Certificate: 15
Genre: Drama
Awards: None

Red Beard was the last film of sixteen to be made in the director-actor partnership of Akira Kuroswa and Toshirô Mifune, joining the ranks of Seven Samurai, Drunken Angel and The Bad Sleep Well. The film follows Dr Yasumoto (Kayama) who is sent to work in the clinic of Red Beard (Mifune) in 19th century Japan. Yasumoto dislikes Red Beard and refuses to work yet is slowly taught humility and honour as he sees the suffering of the patients.

The first half of the film shows how Yasumoto slowly learns humility whilst interacting with a number of patients that have their own stories of woe. The second half gives Yasumoto a patient in the twelve year old Otoyo (Niki) which give some absolutely heart warming scenes. The film has strong performances throughout showing the turmoil of the poor during a time of feudal discomfort.

Kurosawa makes every moment captivating with brilliant cinematography and settings for the flashbacks whilst the present is shown in such mundanity that the social realism becomes even darker and bleak. Whilst perhaps not as impressive as his action films, Red Beard succeeds in showing the nightmare of the lower classes in the 19th century and delivers slight hope in the characters that do what they can to lessen the despair.

****Good