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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka "Akahige" or "Red Beard")
A testament to the goodness of humankind, Akira Kurosawa’s Red Beard (Akahige) chronicles the tumultuous relationship between an arrogant young doctor, Noboru Yasumoto (Yuzo Kayama) and a compassionate clinic director. Toshiro Mifune, in his last role for Kurosawa, gives a powerhouse performance as the dignified yet empathic director who guides his pupil to maturity, teaching the embittered intern to appreciate the lives of his destitute patients. Perfectly capturing the look and feel of 19th-century Japan, Kurosawa weaves a fascinating tapestry of time, place, and emotion. |
Posters
Theatrical Release: March 4th, 1965 - Japan
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
BFI - Region 2- PAL vs. Mei Ah - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC
Big Thanks to Charles Girdham for the BFI screen caps!
(BFI - Region 2 - PAL LEFT vs. Mei Ah - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)
DVD Box Covers |
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Distribution |
BFI (British Film Institute) Region 2- PAL |
Mei Ah (Hong Kong) Region 0 - NTSC |
Criterion
Collection Spine #159 Region 1 - NTSC |
Runtime | 2:52:36 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:29:36 + 1:30:36 = 3:01:12 | 3:05:06 |
Video |
2.42:1 Slightly Cropped 16X9 enhanced |
2.49:1 Cropped |
2.30:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate:
BFI
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Bitrate:
Mei Ah #1 |
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Bitrate:
Mei Ah Disc 2 |
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Bitrate:
Criterion
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Audio | Japanese (Dolby Digital 5.0 Stereo) | Japanese (Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono) |
Japanese (Dolby Digital 4.0 Stereo) |
Subtitles | English, (non-removable) | English, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified) and none | English, and none |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: BFI (British Film Institute) Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: DVD
Release Date: October 6th, 2003 Chapters 15
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Release Information: Studio: Mei Ah (HK) Aspect Ratio: Edition Details: • Cast Information • Text Screens on Akira Kurosawa
Chapters 9+9 = 18 |
Release Information: Studio: Criterion / Home Vision Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: DVD
Release Date: July 16th, 2002 Chapters 39 |
Comments: |
ADDITIONAL INFO RE: BFI Release
(Thanks Charles): To me the BFI release looks quite good. Perhaps slightly darker, but just as sharp as the magnificent Criterion. Charles tells me there is some print damage and speckling, but it is not intrusive. The BFI release has burnt in subs that suggest a different translation from the Criterion release. Although single lines appear outside the image area and double lines have one in and one on the image, they are 16X9 friendly. The BFI menu has a background loop of clips from the film with music from main theme with the option to play film with 5 min intervals. There is some very slight cropping in the BFI release, but I find it negligible. There are some short Extra features. Overall a very good release from BFI! *** Once again the Criterion is obviously superior in every way. The Mei Ah version is one of their better efforts probably the best Kurosawa from them that I have seen. The same can be said for the Criterion which may be their best Kurosawa DVD production. The biggest failing of the Mei Ah disc are the subtitles. Apparently the Japanese dialogue was translated into Chinese, then the Chinese translated into English - so there are flaws. Also the spelling is poor and the image is badly cropped on the top and bottom as well as contrast boosted. The Mei Ah is a DVD 10 - two sides/single layered. The Criterion is a superb DVD. The film has barely a nick or scratch and has wonderful smooth contrast and shadow detail, often in a very muted, soft appearance while still maintaining sharpness. There is an appropriate intermission and the Extras include Donald Richie liner notes and commentary by Stephen Prince which goes into great detail about Kurosawa's visual technique. I'm very proud to own this one. |
Recommended Reading for Japanese Film Fans (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
The Japan Journals : 1947-2004, by Donald Richie |
The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film by Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp |
Kon Ichikawa (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs) by James Quandt, Cinematheque Ontario |
Shohei Imamura (Cinematheque
Ontario Monographs, No. 1) by James Quandt |
Eros Plus Massacre: An
Introduction to the Japanese New Wave Cinema
(Midland Book, Mb 469) by David Desser |
The Films of Akira Kurosawa by Donald Ritchie |
by Yasujiro Ozu, Kogo Noda, Donald Richie, Eric Klestadt |
Ozu by Donald Richie |
A Hundred Years of Japanese Film by Donald Richie |
Check out more in "The Library"
DVD Menus
(BFI - Region 2 - PAL LEFT vs.
Mei Ah - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs.
Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)
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Subtitle Sample
(BFI - Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Mei Ah - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
COMING SOON! |
Screen Captures
(BFI - Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Mei Ah - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
NOTE: Damage on Mei Ah print
(BFI - Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Mei Ah - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
(BFI - Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Mei Ah - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
(BFI - Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Mei Ah - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
(BFI - Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Mei Ah - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
(BFI - Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Mei Ah - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
Report Card:
Image: |
Criterion |
Sound: |
Criterion |
Extras: | Criterion |
Menu: | Criterion |
Recommended Reading for Kurosawa Fans (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film by Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp |
Eros Plus Massacre: An Introduction to the Japanese New Wave Cinema (Midland Book, Mb 469) by David Desser |
Akira Kurosawa and
Intertextual Cinema by James Goodwin |
Kurosawa: Film Studies and
Japanese Cinema (Asia-Pacific.) by Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto |
The Warrior's Camera by Stephen Prince |
The Films of Akira Kurosawa by Donald Ritchie |
The Emperor and the
Wolf: The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and
Toshiro Mifune by Stuart Galbraith IV |
Something Like an Autobiography by Akira Kurosawa | A Hundred Years of Japanese Film by Donald Richie |
Check out more in "The Library"
DVD Box Covers |
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Distribution |
BFI (British Film Institute) Region 2- PAL |
Mei Ah (Hong Kong) Region 0 - NTSC |
Criterion
Collection Spine #159 Region 1 - NTSC |
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