Director: Akira Kurosawa
Screenplay: Masato Ide, Hideo Oguni, Ryūzō Kikushima, Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Yūzō Kayama, Reiko Dan, Kyōko Kagawa, Akemi Negishi, Miyuki Kuwano, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Takashi Shimura
Country: Japan
Running Time: 186m
Year: 1965
Kurosawa’s intimate, episodic epic follows the socially ambitious young doctor (Yuzo Kayama) as he arrives at a rural clinic in 19th-century Japan to study alongside the commanding yet caring Dr Kyojio Niide aka ‘Red Beard’ (Mifune). Kurosawa’s final black and white film, this poignant tale of humanity and the meaning of responsibility features a powerhouse performance by Mifune in his final collaboration with Kurosawa, marking the end of one of the most remarkable actor-director relationships in the history of cinema.
The BFI’s fabulous treatment of Akira Kurosawa’s masterworks continues with the release of Red Beard with a gleaming 4K transfer. This excellent series has been an opportunity to re-evaluate Kurosawa’s career and Red Beard finds the director at his most accomplished and arguably, his most ambitious.
His most well-known pieces have easy hooks; Samurai westerns, a dash of Shakespeare, classical Noir, human drama. In comparison, Red Beard initially appears more insular and indulgent. And yet, it is a singular triumph. Eschewing a more predictable narrative, the structure is episodic but the pace flows cleanly. Characters are incredibly well-drawn. Of course, Mifune carries some considerable weight and his natural charisma informs his role with a natural ease. But the comparitvely unassuming Yuzo Kayama is a fantastic foil. This isn’t just a set of characters, but a subtle demonstration of Kurosawa’s grasp of mise en scene. Not quite extending to Kurosawa’s reputation for not respecting female characters.
The whole film is playful. A great example is right before it starts. A trigger warning highlights some challenging and disturbing aspects of the story, immediately followed by Masaru Sato’s gorgeous and whimsical score. This is a film that pushes boundaries and buttons, but has a sentimental heart tempering a fiercely political spirit.
Red Beard may have found Kurosawa at his peak, but this was not only his last black and white film, it was his last with Mifune. Their relationship broke down entirely, never to be rekindled. Perhaps the loss of one of his greatest muses was the reason that Kurosawa’s career waned for some years.
VIDEO
This is another gorgeous presentation of the kind we have come to expect from the BFI. Silky light, hitherto unappreciated depth and gutsy contrast. It’s a clean and consistent image throughout, which is a treat because previous releases have shown the film’s age. There’s no hiding that of course, but an upgrade of this quality is incredible.
Cinematographers Asakazu Nakai and Takao Saito frequently employed long lenses and an impossibly sharp depth of field. Their compositions are often busy and so this new transfer is put through its paces.
AUDIO
To match the bold visuals, the audio is similarly punchy. The fun Kurosawa is having with an unassuming synopsis is obvious in the sound design. In one fight scene, Mifune disables numerous attackers and every bone popped echoes satisfyingly across the speakers (hilariously, he regrets his actions and starts popping some of them back too).
For the most part, this is a quieter film though. Dialogue is nicely centred and clear, while environmental sounds keep the staging wide open.
EXTRA FEATURES
Never one to refuse a challenge, the BFI manage to pull in the local angle once again with some vintage public information films. Always an eccentric way to flesh out the extras, I think, but I’d miss them if they were not there. Alex Cox is another regular on these releases, carrying over from the BFI’s original run. His introductions are fabulous, with his consummate knowledge of Kurosawa’s life and how that informed his work. Along with the excellent audio commentary and interviews, this is a robust and valuable release.
- Restored in 2K by Toho Co., Ltd and presented in High Definition
- Newly recorded audio commentary by Japanese-Australian filmmaker Kenta McGrath
- Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create – Red Beard (2002, 22 mins)
- Alex Cox on Red Beard (2003, 14 mins): archive piece recorded for the BFI’s original DVD release
- Toshiro Mifune in Conversation (1986, 61 mins, audio only): the legendary Japanese actor discusses his life and career in this interview with critic and writer David Shipman
- Treasures from the BFI National Archive (1947-1952): a selection of public information films exploring advances in healthcare in rural districts – Mother (1947, 16 mins), Doctor’s Dilemma (1948, 1 min), and District Nurse (1952, 27 mins)
- Original trailer
- **FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Booklet featuring new writing on the film by Hayley Scanlon, on the music and the film’s composer by Charlie Brigden, an essay on actor Yûzô Kayama by James-Masaki Ryan and writing on the short films by Yuriko Hamaguchi
Red Beard UHD
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Screenplay: Masato Ide, Hideo Oguni, Ryūzō Kikushima, Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Yūzō Kayama, Reiko Dan, Kyōko Kagawa, Akemi Negishi, Miyuki Kuwano, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Takashi Shimura
Country: Japan
Running Time: 186m
Year: 1965
Kurosawa’s intimate, episodic epic follows the socially ambitious young doctor (Yuzo Kayama) as he arrives at a rural clinic in 19th-century Japan to study alongside the commanding yet caring Dr Kyojio Niide aka ‘Red Beard’ (Mifune). Kurosawa’s final black and white film, this poignant tale of humanity and the meaning of responsibility features a powerhouse performance by Mifune in his final collaboration with Kurosawa, marking the end of one of the most remarkable actor-director relationships in the history of cinema.
The BFI’s fabulous treatment of Akira Kurosawa’s masterworks continues with the release of Red Beard with a gleaming 4K transfer. This excellent series has been an opportunity to re-evaluate Kurosawa’s career and Red Beard finds the director at his most accomplished and arguably, his most ambitious.
His most well-known pieces have easy hooks; Samurai westerns, a dash of Shakespeare, classical Noir, human drama. In comparison, Red Beard initially appears more insular and indulgent. And yet, it is a singular triumph. Eschewing a more predictable narrative, the structure is episodic but the pace flows cleanly. Characters are incredibly well-drawn. Of course, Mifune carries some considerable weight and his natural charisma informs his role with a natural ease. But the comparitvely unassuming Yuzo Kayama is a fantastic foil. This isn’t just a set of characters, but a subtle demonstration of Kurosawa’s grasp of mise en scene. Not quite extending to Kurosawa’s reputation for not respecting female characters.
The whole film is playful. A great example is right before it starts. A trigger warning highlights some challenging and disturbing aspects of the story, immediately followed by Masaru Sato’s gorgeous and whimsical score. This is a film that pushes boundaries and buttons, but has a sentimental heart tempering a fiercely political spirit.
Red Beard may have found Kurosawa at his peak, but this was not only his last black and white film, it was his last with Mifune. Their relationship broke down entirely, never to be rekindled. Perhaps the loss of one of his greatest muses was the reason that Kurosawa’s career waned for some years.
VIDEO
This is another gorgeous presentation of the kind we have come to expect from the BFI. Silky light, hitherto unappreciated depth and gutsy contrast. It’s a clean and consistent image throughout, which is a treat because previous releases have shown the film’s age. There’s no hiding that of course, but an upgrade of this quality is incredible.
Cinematographers Asakazu Nakai and Takao Saito frequently employed long lenses and an impossibly sharp depth of field. Their compositions are often busy and so this new transfer is put through its paces.
AUDIO
To match the bold visuals, the audio is similarly punchy. The fun Kurosawa is having with an unassuming synopsis is obvious in the sound design. In one fight scene, Mifune disables numerous attackers and every bone popped echoes satisfyingly across the speakers (hilariously, he regrets his actions and starts popping some of them back too).
For the most part, this is a quieter film though. Dialogue is nicely centred and clear, while environmental sounds keep the staging wide open.
EXTRA FEATURES
Never one to refuse a challenge, the BFI manage to pull in the local angle once again with some vintage public information films. Always an eccentric way to flesh out the extras, I think, but I’d miss them if they were not there. Alex Cox is another regular on these releases, carrying over from the BFI’s original run. His introductions are fabulous, with his consummate knowledge of Kurosawa’s life and how that informed his work. Along with the excellent audio commentary and interviews, this is a robust and valuable release.