Red Beard (Akira Kurosawa, 1965): Japan

Reviewed by Byron Potau.  Viewed on DVD.

Masterpiece is a word that is never overused when talking about the films of Akira Kurosawa.  In Red Beard he gives us yet another awe inspiring masterpiece of cinema to admire, study, and enjoy, and shows us once again why he is among our greatest directors of all time.

Young doctor Yasumoto (Yuzo Kayama), fresh from medical school, has been studying to become the shogun’s doctor and is appalled when he finds he is assigned to the free clinic, run by the tyrannical and stubborn doctor known as Red Beard (Toshiro Mifune), where he is expected to treat the undesirable, poverty stricken.  In defiance of his new position, which he feels is beneath him, Yasumoto refuses to do his duties as a doctor, defying Red Beard’s rules and spending his time drinking in his room.  When he is attacked by an insane woman patient whom he proudly and foolishly thinks he can help, he is treated by Red Beard and he begins to see the humanity and sensitivity of his methods.  As he begins to make his own connections with the patients, hearing their stories, seeing their suffering, he finally sees them as human beings worthy and deserving of his attentions, coming to learn a deeper value of humanity in the process.

This film is just crying out words like cornball and cheesy, and in the hands of a lesser director it would be, but this is Kurosawa and so few have ever matched his directorial skill.  Kurosawa is master at handling the type of emotional scenes that make up so much of this film, tugging at the viewer’s heartstrings in a way that is never forced or maudlin.  A sweet, uplifting score from Masaru Sato adds much to the feel of the film as we get swept up in one heart wrenching scene after another.

Toshiro Mifune is perfectly cast as the righteous Red Beard who is unwavering in his compassion and his principles, resulting in one of the greatest performances of his career.  Mifune has such a commanding presence onscreen to which he here adds a quiet intensity, dominating every scene he is in.  He also gets to kick a little ass too.  Sadly, this was Mifune’s last collaboration with Kurosawa, ending one of cinema’s most successful actor/director pairings.  The rest of the cast, especially, the numerous small supporting roles, give solid performances as well.

Amidst heartbreak and sorrow, kindness and human spirit prevail and it has seldom, if ever, been more satisfying than in this film.  Great to rent, better to own, this masterwork is powerful enough to restore anyone’s lack of faith in humanity.

DVD Extras:  Audio commentary by Kurosawa film scholar Stephen Prince, notes by Japanese film historian Donald Richie, and theatrical trailer.