Akahige (1965)

Director:

Akira Kurosawa

Writers:

Masato Ide (writer)
Ryuzo Kikushima (writer)

Release Date:

19 December 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

In a charity hospital, a hard-bitten but honorable older doctor, Dr. Niide, takes a young intern under...

Plot Keywords:

Wedding | Suicide | One Word Title | Landslide | Literature

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 9 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Toshirô Mifune	...	Dr. Kyojio Niide, 'Akahige' ['Red Beard']
Yuzo Kayama	...	Dr. Noboru Yasumoto
Tsutomu Yamazaki	...	Sahachi
Reiko Dan	...	Osugi
Miyuki Kuwano	...	Onaka
Kyôko Kagawa	...	Madwoman
Tatsuyoshi Ehara	...	Genzo Tsugawa (as Tatsuya Ebara)
Terumi Niki	...	Otoyo
Akemi Negishi	...	Okuni, the mistress
Yoshio Tsuchiya	...	Dr. Handayu Mori
Eijirô Tono	...	Goheiji
Chishu Ryu	...	Mr. Yasumoto
Takashi Shimura	...	Tokubei Izumiya
Haruko Sugimura	...	Kin, the madam
Kinuyo Tanaka	...	Madame Yasumoto, Noboru's mother

Also Known As:

Red Beard (International: English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

185 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Perspecta Stereo

Certification:

Sweden:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Singapore:PG | UK:15 (re-rating) (2002) | UK:X (original rating)

Company:

Kurosawa Production Co.

Trivia:

Period construction of the hospital went as far as to use the right kind of aged wood that would have been used in the region at the time the film is set, per Akira Kurosawa's request.

Quotes:

Dr. Handayu Mori: The pain and loneliness of death frighten me. But Dr. Niide looks at it differently. He looks into their hearts as well as their bodies.

Perhaps too sincere for an American audience

The story is about a young doctor who thinks a posting at a public medical clinic is below his station. But the gruff Red Beard teaches him a thing or two. The film endeavors to heighten awareness of human suffering. The viewer identifies with the young doctor and learns with him about the evils of the world and the ever-surprising lengths Red Beard goes to to mitigate them.

There is ample humor, sparse dialogue, and excellent characterization. Cinematography and other finer features are somewhat pedestrian. Yet the film is touching and memorable. It is not melodramatic, cheap, or smarmy--it is one of the films whose appeal reaches other times and nations besides 1960s Japan.