Akira Kurosawa's Red Beard (1965) stumbles a bit for the first two hours: its introduction of the characters overstays its welcome and the narrative is a bit uneven. As we get to know Red Beard (a famous doctor who helps the poor), Yasumoto (a young doctor who is unwillingly forced to help Red Beard) and a wide range of side characters, there are moments of thematic brilliance (social injustice is only the most visible theme) even if the narrative is a bit messed up. Luckily the last hour (basically the part after the intermission) is very solid in all aspects because it gives the film a clear focus.
Kurosawa's form is great yet again with impeccable lighting, striking compositions and gripping editing. Reviewing the form of a Kurosawa film becomes quite meaningless because it is nearly flawless almost on every occasion. The only exception to the rule is The Idiot because it was butchered by the studio.
Even if Red Beard is a slightly flawed film, it's certainly worth watching because the last segment of the film is so masterful.
Score: 8 out of 10
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