RED BEARD | AKAHIGE

JAPAN | 1965 | B&W | DCP | 185’ | JAPANESE

In 19th-century Japan, a young doctor aspires to service the Shogun, only to find himself on the staff of a local doctor, nicknamed "Red Beard", who disdains materialism and, despite being authoritarian, adopts a thoroughly humanistic outlook. Kurosawa's last b|w film (and his last with Toshiro Mifune) emerges as a cornerstone of his humanist universe. In his magical, idiosyncratic cinemascope fit successive stories of human beings, while all is grounded in understanding the world exclusively, and at any cost, through patience and compassion. That in this inexhaustible system nests also a deep existentialism and an intimate concern for what constitutes Man, lifts the film into the heavens of filmmaking history. 

DIRECTOR: Akira Kurosawa
SCREENWRITERS: Masato Ide, Hideo Oguni, Ryūzō Kikushima, Akira Kurosawa
DoP: Asakazu Nakai, Takao Saito
MUSIC: Masaru Sato
EDITOR: Akira Kurosawa
PRINCIPAL CAST: Toshiro Mifune, Yūzō Kayama, Reiko Dan, Kyōko Kagawa, Akemi Negishi, Miyuki Kuwano, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Takashi Shimura

AKIRA KUROSAWA
Japanese filmmaker, legend of world cinema. He was recognized more than any of his Asian counterparts and had an overall and profound influence on Western film culture. 30 films, a multi-award winning body of work (Oscar, Golden Lion, Golden Palm, among others), a legendary 16-film collaboration with Toshiro Mifune, a life and work that marked globally the artistry of the 20th century.

FILMOGRAPHY (SELECTED)
1990 Dreams
1985 Ran 
1970 Dodes’ka-den 
1965 Red Beard 
1963 High and Low 
1961 Yojimbo 
1960 The Bad Sleep Well 
1958 The Hidden Fortress 
1957 Throne of Blood 
1954 Seven Samurai 
1952 Ikiru 
1951 The Idiot 
1950 Rashomon