DVD Review - Red Beard (Criterion)

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Site created 12/15/97.

review added: 7/23/02

Red Beard
1965 (2002) - Toho International Co., Ltd. (Criterion)

review by Todd Doogan of The Digital Bits

Enhanced for 16x9 TVs

Film Rating: A+

Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): A/A/A

Specs and Features

185 mins, NR, letterboxed widescreen (2.35:1), 16x9 enhanced, single-sided, RSDL-layered (layer switch at 1:37:27 in chapter 20), audio commentary with Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince, liner notes by Japanese film historian Donald Richie, theatrical trailer, animated film-themed menu screens with music, scene access (39 chapters), languages: Japanese (DD 2.0), subtitles: English

Red Beard marked a major point in the life and career of Akira Kurosawa. It was the last black and white film he was to ever make. It was the last time he would direct the legendary Toshiro Mifune. And it essentially ended his most prolific period as a filmmaker. For many, Red Beard is the last film Kurosawa made that held all of the elements that make Kurosawa's films great. He would go on to make seven more remarkable films to be sure, but none - not even Ran - had the impact of the twenty-five films he made between 1943 and 1965.

Clocking in with a run time of over three hours, Red Beard is representative of everything Kurosawa made, and at the same time it's unlike the films most fans remember him for. Despite its incredible length, Red Beard is one of Kurosawa's most completely engrossing films. I don't think many American fans have found much use in it, considering there are no samurai, no super cool trick shots or raging battles set in the rain and mud. But if you look at it the right way, there's an easy argument that this could be Kurosawa's best made film... the same way Citizen Kane is the greatest film ever. Like own our Adam Jahnke said in his review of Kane, that doesn't necessarily make it a best-loved film - just a great one.

It's the tail end of the Tokugawa period, and young doctor Yasumoto (Yuzo Kayama), a graduate of the Dutch medical school at Nagasaki, is stopping by a ratty clinic as instructed by his father. In his mind, this is a just a visit, but he's about the find himself the newest disgruntled intern. The clinic is under the command of doctor Kyojio Niide (Toshiro Mifune), also known as "Red Beard." Yasumoto immediately finds himself at odds with the gruff Red Beard, whose first demand is access to Yasumoto's medical notes on Western medicine. Refusing to show his precious notes, Yasumoto begins a campaign to piss Red Beard off and get kicked out of the clinic. His drinking sake, lounging in the medicinal garden and refusing to wear his medical uniform grate more on the nerves on the clinic's other workers, who explain that there is much to learn under the stern instruction of Dr. Niide. But Yasumoto is a stubborn man, and he has his mind made up.

Then things change. That sort of thing happens when you're almost killed by a nymphomaniac. Locked away in a small hut at the back of the garden, is a young woman who seduced and murdered store clerk after store clerk. Ahead of his time, in Niide's thinking, mind and body are both operable, and this woman is not crazy - she's sick, damaged. One night, while Yasumoto lounges half drunk on sake in his room, the young woman (expertly played in full creep out mode by Kyoko Kagawa) enters his room and begins to spin her story - along with her web. Narrowly escaping his own murder, after mending, Yasumoto slips into his medical uniform and begins to lend a hand at the clinic. His fist assignment is to watch a man die. From there, we are Yasumoto as he learns about life, service and humanity.

Fans of Kurosawa films know his film Ikiru is all about living through death. It's the most beautiful film I've ever seen, and it happens to be my personal Kurosawa film favorite. Red Beard is very much in that vein. Except Red Beard is about living life despite the forgone conclusion of death. It's about people. Humanity. And because of that, it's a slow moving, poetic epic. There's much to learn by just sitting and watching the film, because rather than being a pure entertainment, Red Beard is a lot like introspection. I think every person should see themselves in this film, and ask where they are in their lives. Are you like Yasumoto before her came to the clinic or as he is at the end of the film?

What I described above is just the set-up for the film. There is a whole movie's worth of journey for Yashumoto that I'm just not going to go into. If you love film, see this one. If you like Kurosawa, but don't know the more human side of his filmmaking, this is a great way to jump in and get your feet wet.

Criterion, once again, makes Kurosawa look and sound as good as ever. Here's yet another Criterion disc featuring a Kurosawa film that I get to gush over. The stunning black and white photography, the lush sound and music design all come across incredibly on this DVD. The anamorphic widescreen video (in his trademark full use of the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, another last for Kurosawa) looks wonderful. I've never seen this film look better. The sound is also good. There's some interesting play in the mix, and the beautifully lyrical score fits the DVD perfectly. I have no complaints whatsoever.

Being a Criterion special edition, one could expect an extensive liner note booklet by a Kurosawa expert, as well as a commentary by another scholar. And that's exactly what you get. Donald Richie's liner notes are a nice light touch. But Stephen Princes' informative commentary really does the trick. It's a very well rounded and informative track, that's actually listenable for the full running time. Prince is very well spoken and thoughtful throughout his commentary. There's only a few moments of repetitive information - this is a helluva track. Also on board is the film's original Japanese theatrical trailer.

Red Beard is not the best known Kurosawa film, but I think you'll find that it's one of, if not THE, most expertly crafted of his films. Red Beard is sweeping. It's epic. And it's human. Very Kurosawa indeed.

Todd Doogan
todddoogan@thedigitalbits.com