The last and most ambitious of Akira Kurosawa's collaborations with Toshiro Mifune, Red Beard, marked the end of one of the most remarkable actor-director relationships in the history of cinema. Toshiro Mifune plays a commanding but humane doctor in a rural clinic in late 19th-century Japan. An idle and socially ambitious intern (Yuzo Kayama) arrives at the clinic and discovers the meaning of responsibility, first to oneself and then to others. This intimate epic - and off beat social drama - boldly mixes the styles of sopa opera and the action movie, and rewards the viewer with a detailed reconstruction of the feudal era, a warmly humanitarian message and a powerhouse performance by Mifune.
Introduction by Alex Cox
Biographies of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune
Original poster
Production stills
Interactive menus
Scene selection
