A novel and a film about redbeards

With the proverbs, we have seen that in popular tradition red-bearded men didn’t enjoy a good reputation, especially when the hair on their head was of a different colour than their beard. However, it seems in the artistic field things are different.

 

Here’s, for example, a novel about a red-bearded man: The Man With The Red Beard: A Story Of Moscow And London. 

 

The Man With The Red Beard: A Story Of Moscow And London"" is a novel written by David Whitelaw and published in 1911. The story follows the life of a man named Ivan Petrovich, who is known for his striking red beard. Ivan is a Russian immigrant living in London, where he works as a porter at a hotel. Despite his humble position, Ivan is a kind and generous man who is well-liked by everyone he meets.The novel explores Ivan's experiences in both Moscow and London, as he navigates the challenges of living in a foreign country and dealing with the prejudices and stereotypes that come with being a Russian immigrant. Through Ivan's eyes, the reader is given a glimpse into the cultural differences between Russia and England, as well as the difficulties faced by immigrants in the early 20th century.As the story unfolds, Ivan becomes embroiled in a mystery involving stolen jewels and a wealthy aristocrat. With his intelligence and resourcefulness, Ivan is able to help solve the mystery and restore justice to those who have been wronged.Overall, ""The Man With The Red Beard"" is a heartwarming tale of a kind and compassionate man who overcomes adversity and helps those around him. It is a story of friendship, loyalty, and the power of human connection, set against the backdrop of two of the world's most iconic cities.

 

Here you can listen to the audiobook. 

 

Red Beard (Akahige) is a 1965 Japanese film directed by famous Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. 

 

The young and arrogant doctor Noboru Yasumoto, trained in a Dutch medical school in Nagasaki, aspires to the status of personal physician of the Shogunate. However, for Yasumoto's post-graduate medical training, he is assigned to a rural clinic under the guidance of Dr. Kyojō Niide, known as Akahige ("Red Beard"). Beneath a gruff exterior, Dr. Niide is a compassionate and wise director. Under his very strict guidelines, the clinic treats the poor and disadvantaged of the region. Much to his surprise and dismay, Yasumoto is told he is to start work there immediately. As he was expecting a position as a physician for a shogunate in his privilege, Yasumoto shows his displeasure at this fate at every turn. He believes this fate was either orchestrated directly by Red Beard in solely wanting access to his detailed professional notes or by the father of a female acquaintance in an effort to get rid of him. However, Yasumoto gets a different perspective of life as a doctor at the clinic by viewing Red Beard's methods first hand and by getting to know the stories of some of the in-patients at the clinic.

 

The film is based on Shūgorō Yamamoto's 1959 short story collection Akahige Shinryōtan and the character of Red Beard is based on Ogawa Shosen (1672 - 1760), one of the doctors who helped to establish the Koishikawa Yojosho, a free-of-charge clinic managed by the Shogunate of Edo. I don’t know whether he had red hair or not. Red hair is not very widespread among the Asians, as well as facial hair. In Japan, the only men sporting very thick beards belong to the Ainu people, an indigenous ethnic group who reside in northern Japan and southeastern Russia.

As you read in the film plot, the young doctor was trained in a Dutch medical school and we have already seen in this post the link among the Dutch, medicine and red hair. So, who knows, this might be the origin of the doctor's nickname Red Beard.

Red Beard is played by world-renowned actor Toshiro Mifune, who won, for this role, a Volpi Cup for Best Actor in the Venice International Film Festival. Mifune and Kurosawa collaborated in 16 films, this being the last one.

Here you can watch the film with English subtitles.