Set in the early nineteenth century, Red Beard stars Mifune as a physician in charge of an impoverished clinic who believes it his duty to fight poverty as well as disease. According to Georges Sadoul, "Kurosawa himself has called this a 'monument to goodness in man.' This remarkable Education Sentimentale, Dostoevskian in overtones, has been much criticized for its proposition that good begets good. Kurosawa challenges the viewer to react cynically and then shows that the cynicism is meaningless. Kurosawa's style is simple, yet every scene is full of revealing details and images of extraordinary beauty. Mifune gives a superb performance in an extremely difficult role."

Red Beard is repeated on Sunday, December 22.