This new restoration of Kurosawa's intimate, episodic, epic follows a socially ambitious young doctor (Yuzo Kayama) as he arrives at a rural clinic in 19th-century Japan to study alongside the commanding yet caring Dr Kyojio Niide aka 'Red Beard' (Toshiro Mifune). Kurosawa's final black and white film, this poignant tale of humanity and the meaning of responsibility features a powerhouse performance by Mifune in his last collaboration with Kurosawa, marking the end of one of the most remarkable actor-director relationships in the history of cinema.
