Red Beard (1965)

VHS CASE/SIDE

Length of film: 195 Minutes

Rated: X

Genre: Drama

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Yûzô Kayama, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Reiko Dan, Miyuki Kuwano, Kyôko Kagawa, Terumi Niki

IMDB Rank: 8.3 /10

Part 1 Time:  111 Minutes

Part 2 Time:  74 Minutes

Where does the first part end? Red Beard (Toshirô Mifune) and Norboru Yasumto (Yûzô Kayama) rescue Otoyo ( Terumi Niki) from the brothel and bring her back to the rural medical clinic.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “Yasumoto, you look after her. She’s your first patient. Cure her.” Red Beard tells Yasumto.

First line of dialogue on the second part: “February 9… I bring Otoyo to my room,” Yasumoto narrates as he writes in his medical journal.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Somewhat, after fighting off a group of thugs, Red Bread saves a young girl from a brothel, showing that there is more to him than just his gruff exterior. Will Yasumoto begin to humble himself with the teachings of Red Beard or continue to his arrogant ways?

Which part is better? Part two is better as we begin to see Yasumoto’s character begin to change as he nurses Otoyo back to health. The second part shows how the power of patience and kindness can rehabilitate not only the body but the mind of those suffering from ailments.

Academy Awards: None