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Red Beard - Criterion Collection Director: Akira Kurosawa Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen Format: Black & White, Widescreen Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Running Time: 185 minutes Studio: Criterion Collection Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2002-07-16 Buy from Amazon |
 "interesting film, but over long and preachy"I'll keep this short. The message of the film was aptly delivered 1/3 of the way through, and the entire film should only have been 2/3 as long as it was. Although this movie has all of Kurosawa's technical mastery in it, it's also rather cliched. It definitely overstayed it's welcome.  "Incredible"One must watch this film sometime in their life. It is as close to being a "Citizen Kane" -like film as possible, poignant, dramatic, and fascinating. Certainly one of the finest films I have ever seen and I am a 54 year old teacher. The film maybe Japanese, but the themes of individual character and virtue are timeless and universal. The DVD is absolutely superb. The black and white is incredible. The commentary on the DVD should be listened to after one has watched the movie. It is enlightening! Be prepared to watch the 3 hour film in one go. Even the intermission is interesting to watch and the music beautiful. You will enjoy this amazing film. "Red Beard moves you in so many ways..."The legendary Toshirô Mifune has the part of Red Beard, a name that is self-explanatory. One day a young doctor by the name Noboru Yasumoto (Yuzo Kayama) arrives at Red Beard's welfare hospital where he is to replace a colleague who anxiously wants to leave. Noboru has big plans for the future as he wants to be the Shogun's personal doctor. However, this new assignment will be an obstacle to his ambitions, since the new position forces him to confront his personal expectations as well as Red Beard. Red Beard requires contemplation by the audience otherwise much will be missed, which makes the cinematic experience grand.  "Too preachy."RED BEARD is a decent enough film, but far too long for the storyline Kurosawa provides. The movie reminds me of some of the better Chinese communist flims of the 1960s, which may have been influenced by RED BEARD, for all I know. But there are distinct similarities, not least of which is the promotion of the idea in this movie that the upper classes are basically morally inferior (perhaps), and that the downtrodden underclasses are morally superior to those who exploit them. Toshiro Mifune, of course, dominates the film in his role as the selfless physician who gives free medical care to the poor peasants and prostitutes who come to him for aid. At the same time, he charges handsomely for the medical advice he doles out to the rich landowners, using those profits to provide for those less fortunate. It's an uplifting film with a strong socialist agenda, but far too cloying for my tastes. Still and all...it's Akira Kurosawa, and he's better than almost everyone, even when he misses the mark. "STRONG"This is a strong film. This is a film I recommend all everybody to see (young and old). This is a film all doctors (especially fresh graduates) should see! This film is totally uptodate, tackling the most rotten parts in us, in society. This film has stories to tell: stories that touch your heart and make you cry and make you laugh and make you want to change; stories about dignity, wisdom, strength and love. This film is so well made and so well acted. |
