i agree with one of the user comments that says this one was too long and uninvolved and referred to it as becoming like a Marcus Welby M.D. I'm a big fan of Kurosawa but this one just didn't do it for me. Surprised its rating is as high as it is.
Tarantino movies are like arcade style video games.
Red Beard is a quiet character study which is why I think many Kurosawa fans are not into it. Especially if all you've seen are 7 samurai, Yojimbo, and other Kurosawa'a that are more action-oriented. I love this movie. For once Kurosawa has a beautiful musical score (not talking about sound effects which are always used well), the cinematography is superb, and Mifune in "power-restrained" mode is excellent. Another actor of note is Kagawa Kyoko in her small but amazing role as "the mantis". I could blab on about it but I happen to be watching the DVD right now ;) (Keep up the good work Criterion!)
shareI agree. I actually enjoy these movies more than his action films. My three favorites are this, Ikiru, and Dersu Uzala. While I do like Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, I find these character study movies more enjoyable to watch. It's all a matter of taste, I guess. I can see where some would not enjoy this movie or his other nonaction-oriented films because they are markedly different films, at least on the surface. I will say that one of my favorite scenes in this movie was when Akahige takes out the entire group of 'suitors' at the geisha house.
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Join the club. Me, Irradiata, Vetch-2, Snidely-whiplash and others - we're mostly on the Seven Samurai and Toshiro Mifune boards. We're the Kurosawa freaks.
Senior Member of the Descending Ladies Bedafter Gumi. Or something.
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I couldn't finish it because there was a problem with the DVD. It was very neear the end though. Can anyone tell me what happened after the boy thief is waking up from his poisioning and explaining what happened to the girl?
shareI loved it but typically love this kind of movie.
Kurosawa "action" movies are the about the only members of that genre that I love - most action movies bore and/or disgust me.
The sound design (first use of 4 track in a Kurosawa film) and cinematography are good, as to be expected from such an accomplished director. But compared to films by the upcoming Japanese directors of the time (Shindo, Imamura and Teshigahara) it is a bit old fashioned and static.
As for the story itself, the reoccurring moral of the various subplots is blatantly sexist: because women (the Mantis, Chigusa, Onaka, Rokusuke's wife) betray men or are otherwise selfish (the brothel owner), everyone (including extended families) has to suffer, and only men can take on the heroic burden of sacrificing themselves to lessen that suffering. The way this dubious message is presented is too didactic and slightly sentimental.
Overall the film is too long. While some scenes are excellent (the Mantis seduction and the scenes concerning Chobo culminating in the well), others plod on taking too much time due to their irrelevance. The subplots about Rokusuke and Sahachi add little to the story as a whole, which would have benefited if they had been left out completely. Perhaps the film studio gave Kurosawa too much money and too much freedom.
Not Kurosawa's worst, but not his best either. 7/10