Red Beard (1965)
A cure for the human condition?
Presentation:
This is my favorite Kurosawa film and Iโm pretty sure itโs his best film. It doesnโt have the prestige of Ran, the status of Seven Samurai, or the level of screenplay as High and Low. And yet, it should take you just 15 minutes to know you are watching a masterpiece unfold. This 3 hour epic is not as it seems. It appears to be a medical drama but is in actuality an exploration of the human condition, morality and how one goes about navigating life. Itโs an intriguing film where the main characters take a back seat and the outstanding dilemmas and circumstances steal the spotlight. As a result, this feels like several short adventures seamlessly woven together. The character dynamic between the two leads is still charismatic and the lighter humor was a smart choice to gel everything together. The cinematography is also deceptively well composed with decent pacing for a 3 hour film (with a much needed intermission).
Conclusion:
Other Kurosawa films may be more iconic, but the cohesive story and universal themes in Red Beard hit perfectly. Itโs not about medicine, itโs life. Normally Ozu is known for the more sentimental dramas, but Kurosawa proves why he is the GOAT of Japanese cinema and can truly do it all. This format will be familiar in future films to come so I donโt know why this film isnโt more iconic. If you can find the time for 3 hours, you may feel by the end of it that all is right in the world again.
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A cure for the human condition?