Red Beard

I've discovered that the Library of Ottawa stocks quite a few fantastic movies so I've decided to start doing little movie features. The first one is Akira Kurosawa's Red Beard which I watched last night. At first when I learned it clocked in at a whopping three plus hours I was a little bit put off, but stumbled on none the less.



It is the story of a man who is training to be a doctor and the trials and tribulations that he encounters along the way. There is also a few little sub plots so it seems like kind of a documentary in a way, broken up into little pieces while showing the path he takes to his final decision in the end after all the attacks on his courage and strength. I'm not going to go too much into it as you can read plot summaries on the wiki or, hell watching the film. The Criterion edition has an awesome commentary with film scholar Stephen Prince. It is stunningly well shot and really pulls you in.

To be an artist means never to avert one's eyes.
-Akira Kurosawa