Red Beard
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Red Beard (赤ひげ, akahige) is a 1964 film by Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. The film takes place in Edo which is the old name of Tokyo in 19th-century Japan. Dr. Noboru Yasumoto (Yuzo Kayama) has been assigned to a rural clinic for his post-graduate medical training under the guidance of Dr. Kyojio Niide, Akahige (Toshiro Mifune). Yasumoto, trained in Dutch medical schools in order to become the personal physician of the Japanese Shogunate is livid at his posting. What has he to gain from Akahige?
Red Beard was adapted from a novel by Shugoro Yamamoto. Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel The Insulted and the Injured provides a major subplot about a young girl, Otoyo (Terumi Niki), who is rescued from a brothel. Kurosawa also draws upon Dostoevsky for his film Hakuchi (The Idiot). Red Beard looks at the problem of social injustice and explores two of Kurosawa's favourite topics: existential humanism and existentialism. See also, Ikiru, Dersu Uzala.
The protagonist, Dr. Yasumoto, is an arrogant young doctor who aspires for the status of personal physician of the Shogun. Dr. Niide is a tyrannical task master but also a compassionate clinic director. Dr. Yasumoto feels that Dr. Niide is only interested in his medical notes and soon rebels against the clinic director. Firstly, he refuses to wear his uniform, disdains the food and spartan environment, and enters the forbidden garden where he meets "The Mantis" (Kyoko Kagawa), a mysterious patient that only Dr. Niide can treat.
Through his observations of Dr. Niide's compassion and a series of destitute patients, Dr. Yasumoto learns what being a doctor really means. The lives of patients' is more important than wealth or status. Their suffering can be ameliorated with his compassion and care.
Red Beard is 185 minutes long and was shot at an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. This is the last film by Kurosawa in which Toshiro Mifune appeared. This film also marked the end of black and white filming by Kurosawa.
Cast
- Toshiro Mifune - Dr. Kyojio Niide, "Akahige"
- Yuzo Kayama - Dr. Noboru Yasumoto
- Kyoko Kagawa - "The Mantis" or "Madwoman"
- Terumi Niki - Otoyo