REDBEARD (AKAHIGE)
Japan, 1965, 185 minutes, Black and white.
Toshiro Mifune, Yuzo Kayama.
Directed by Akira Kurosawa.
Redbeard is a fine humanitarian Japanese film. It won the OCIC award at the Venice film festival. Winner of many awards and nominated for a Golden Globe, it is a fine piece of film-making by Akira Kurosawa.
Kurosawa is a major film director of the 20th century. Beginning his career during World War Two, he made a number of masterpieces, especially in the 1950s with Rashomon, Living, The Seven Samurai. In the 1960s he began with other Samurai films including Yojimbo and Sanjuro. By the mid-1960s he was making films like Redbeard and then went on to make a number of films in colour in the 1970s including Dodeskaden, Dersu Uzala as well as his Shakespeare adaptation, Ran.
Once again he uses Toshiro Mifune as his main actor.
The film is set in a 19th century hospital in Tokyo. A young intern is appointed to the charity hospital which is run by the head doctor, Redbeard, played by Mifune, in a kind and compassionate but firm way. He is demanding on his interns – and the arrogant young intern, by his exposure to the humane doctor and having to work on many different cases, learns his own humanity.
At this time the United States was producing such popular films as The Interns and The New Interns – more melodramatic and popular presentation of life in hospitals.
1. How impressive was the film in its presentation? Its themes? Many consider it a classic. Why? Comment on the stark black and white presentation of the issues and characters, the use of Panavision, the musical background and commentary, the length of the film, the variety of the episodes and their interlocking, the strength of the film in its characters and their performance?
2. The basic plot was reminiscent of American medical soap operas. Is this a worthy comment? Did the film indulge in any of this kind of sentiment? Or did it transform its possible limitations for strength and human insight? Credible?
3. How important was the nineteenth century atmosphere? To highlight the human and medical issues without the benefit of modern science? With the atmosphere of poverty and need? Would the film have been different with a contemporary setting? Better?
4. How well communicated was the atmosphere of the hospital? Its role in the village, the poor people present, the wards, the charity? The hard work of the doctors, Redbeard's authority, the cooperation with him?
5. How impressive a central character was Redbeard? His presence and his dedication to his work, the performance of Mifune? As the presentation of a strong and sensible character? His goodness and dedication? The serious overtones of his authority and this medical background? As a master in his field, as an older man, as a teacher, as a controlling force for others, as an ideal to be followed? Was this aspect of the film convincing?
6. Could the audience identify with the young doctor? Entering the town and the hospital through him and with his eyes? Changing before he changed? Admiring Redbeard before he did? Did the film communicate well his youthful, ambitions, previous mistakes, theory from the city, his fears, his unwillingness to wear the uniform, his fainting at operations, his inability to cope with death, his reaction to the poor? How did he change? What was the process of his change?
7. Was this backed up by the presentations of the people suffering or ill? The sick who could not afford doctors, the wards and the men there, their collaboration, the hard working staff, the deaths?
8. The significance of the brothel sequence? The real world of sickness and suffering? The disregard of the madam and the henchmen for human values? Audience response to Redbeard's fight against them? The interaction of the young doctor with the girl? His learning to be human through his help of her? His giving of himself, her receiving and response to him? How impressive and convincing was this? Humane, sentiment?
9. What stage had the young doctor reached in his change when he returned to his family? The arrangements for marriage? (The importance of the sequence of the little girl's jealousy of other women in the young doctor's life?)
10. How had the young doctor's ambitions been fulfilled by the end of the film? The return to health and balance of the young girl? His ability to help Redbeard? Redbeard's choice of him to go higher? The depth of his choice to remain in the poor hospital? The impact that this would have on audiences? (An immediate impact, but people then tending to go from the theatre and forget their experience?)
11. What human values did the film stand for? What picture of human nature and humanity did it have? How optimistic? How well did the film portray its values?
