Akahige (1965)
Genre: Drama
Duration: 185 minuten
Alternative titles: Red Beard / 赤ひげ
Country:
Japan
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yûzô Kayama and Tsutomu Yamazaki
IMDb score:
8,3 (23.222)
Releasedate: 3 April 1965
Akahige plot
"What is the key to life - power, prestige or peace?"
Akira Kurosawa's Red Beard (Akahige) tells the story of the tumultuous dealings between an arrogant young doctor and a passionate head of a clinic. Toshiro Mifune plays the dignified yet emphatic head who leads the young doctor into adulthood, teaching the embittered young doctor to appreciate the lives of his needy patients.
Actors and actresses
Dr. Kyojio Niide ("Red Beard")
Dr. Noboru Yasumoto
Sahachi
Osugi
Onaka
Madwoman ("The Mantis")
Genzô Tsugawa
Otoyo
Okuni
Chobo
Reviews & comments
Spetie
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- 38871 messages
- 8247 votes
This is a very beautiful and peaceful drama.
Toshirô Mifune is and remains my favorite Japanese actor. It's amazing how versatile it is. As reckless and full of humor as he works in, for example, Shichinin no Samurai, he looks calm and mature here as Red Beard. His facial expressions are second to none. You always have to sit down for a film like this, which lasts over three hours, but once I was in the film I was quickly captivated by the spectacle. Although the pace of the film is very slow, it is never boring.
The story of the film is quite strong. An old experienced doctor and a young doctor, Yasumoto, who in the beginning seems to want to go his own way and goes against Red Beard. However, as the film progresses, his respect for him grows, and that is very nice to see. Yuzo Kayama plays the young doctor and does a pretty good job. In addition to good acting and a good and interesting story, the film also contains a quiet but pleasant soundtrack.
And Kurosawa wouldn't be Kurosawa if he didn't visually conjure up some beautiful things on the screen. This is also the case in this film, which sometimes has some pretty beautiful pictures. Red Beard or Akahige is a very strong film that also clearly conveys a message. The film fits perfectly into Kurosawa's work and is definitely recommended in my opinion.
4.0*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Dievegge
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- 3180 messages
- 8228 votes
Kurosawa has done his best to make the nineteenth-century hospital look authentic. Doctors and patients had to endure trials using primitive means. It is a struggle to ensure that those in need have a dignified existence, especially the girl who is rescued from the brothel. Redbeard ultimately turns out to be an experienced, wise doctor who has one outburst of anger. A haunting scene is when that insane patient Dr. Tries to stab Noboru to death with a hairpin. Japanese superstition comes into play when they scream into that well. The camera then descends to show them in mirror image. It shows the powerlessness of man in matters of life and death.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
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- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
I have to admit that this was a pretty tiring three-hour session. If it weren't for the fact that I thought the images and cinematography - think of that scene in the well - were extremely beautiful, I would have given up on it sooner.
In itself a beautiful and noble story of a kind of hospital where patients are cared for, patients who otherwise could never receive the necessary care because they did not have the resources for it. Some patients are explored further, but I found it quite dull at times, especially for the full 185 minutes.
The dreary poor setting was beautifully depicted, as was the suffering. A fairly humanistic film, but I couldn't always relate to it as much. Too bad, especially for myself I suspect.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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