Hot stuff learns compassion, a Kurosawa film

I saw the second of two Akira Kurosawa movies at the Detroit Film Theater this afternoon. I wrote about the first one yesterday. This one is Red Beard, released in 1965 with a story set in mid 1800s Japan. It again features Toshiro Mifune, though not as the central character. That central character is Dr. Noboru Yasumoto. He’s just finished his medical training and thinks he’s hot stuff. He thought he was going to be the personal physician to the Shogun, but instead he is sent to a clinic that treats poor people and has little money to do it. The doctor who greets him, the guy he will replace, says it is a terrible place to work and the guy in charge, Dr. Niide, otherwise known as Red Beard because of the reddish color of his beard (not that one can tell in a black and white movie), is an inflexible dictator. This is the role Mifune plays. Dr. Yasumoto can’t leave so tries to go on strike – refusing to eat or work and refusing to wear the clinic uniform – but that doesn’t last long. Red Beard explains that the problem is poverty and many of the people who come to the clinic are sick because of their poverty. Dr. Yasumoto begins to hear the patient’s stories and becomes more deeply involved in their care. He sees Red Beard is much more compassionate than he first believed. Yeah, we know where this is going and it earns its conclusion. The guy who played Dr. Yasumoto did a fine job. The pace of the movie (3 hours long) allow his face to show a broad range of emotions. Mifune is quite good too, as are all the other actors, even the young boy. I was also impressed with the cinematography, the way scenes were framed and lit. There are many scenes that include Dr. Yasumoto off to the side, observing the action. I quite enjoyed this one and recommend it. I appreciate how compassionate its story is. This movie is on several streaming services.