Red Beard (1965)

4/5

Red Beard would be a laudable movie by any other director, but is somewhat disappointing coming from Kurosawa. It follows a small town doctor nicknamed Red Beard (Mifune) and his arrogant new intern Dr. Yasumoto (Kayama), who would rather serve as the shogun's personal doctor instead of working in the free clinic. Through the few months of his training, he witnesses several life-altering and humbling stories that convince him to stay. Much like MASH, the film feels extremely episodic and there is neither a typical story arc nor a predictable end point. Each individual vignette is quite satisfying, exposing the human motivation behind seemingly malevolent or cruel actions, but they don't really cohere into a satisfying whole. I can easily see this being turned into a sappy melodramatic TV series by money-hungry producers.

The technical aspects of this film are of the highest caliber. Kurosawa's camera is impeccable. It moves naturally and smoothly through long takes to effortlessly compose scenes of stunning beauty and power. The editing, for the most part, is practically invisible. In combination with his camerawork, you never feel like you're watching a movie--you're simply watching events happen before your eyes. But there were also a few times where the editing was striking, jarring, and altogether confusing; luckily they were few and far between. His use of music is exciting and appropriate without going overboard, although it did approach that fine line several times. The acting by all parties is pitch-perfect and worthy of praise. Not a single player disappoints. I am always impressed by Mifune, and here he lives up to my high expectations. All in all, this is a terrific film on technical grounds with inspiring short stories. But the stories, when taken together, are below par for Kurosawa. This is worth watching, but know that it isn't among Kurosawa's best.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058888/

I Live In Fear (1955)

4.9/5

Akira Kurosawa's I Live In Fear takes a simple premise and makes it powerful, unique, and memorable. Toshiro Mifune stars as an aging foundry owner in post-war Japan who fears that his and his family's life are in danger from a nuclear holocaust. He becomes so frightened that he tries to force his family to move with him to Brazil, where he thinks they will be safe. They take him to family court, where Takashi Shimura plays a mediator, to petition his fiscal activities on the grounds of mental incompetence. But who's really crazy, who's being helped, and who's being hurt? The thematics are rich, involved, and compelling. It explores the seemingly basic topic so fully and thoroughly that you are surprised at the amount of depth it contains.

Technically, the movie lives up to the Kurosawa name. He uses fluid camera movement and pristine blocking to give us amazing visual compositions. The editing smartly cuts out useless, empty shots yet also lets scenes sit patiently when called for. The acting by Mifune is simply outstanding--simply unparalleled. Despite the monstrous "old person" makeup he was wearing, he infused his character with empathy and warmth to make him completely and wholly believable. His performance is a marvel to behold. As with every Kurosawa movie, this one is more than just the sum of its parts. Every aspect of this movie combines to form something extraordinary. It rises way past its minor flaws to produce the singular masterpiece that it is.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048198/