Red Beard

A young doctor trained in Dutch medicine is posted against his will to a clinic that treats the poor. He looks down on the man who runs it and wants to leave. The film is not a story about a doctor curing illness; most of the patients do not recover, and the narrative treats poverty itself as the disease. Its episodic structure lets each patient bring their own story. Akira Kurosawa directed, with Toshiro Mifune in the lead; it is the last film the two made together. It is in black and white and widescreen. Who it's for: those who like long, patient classical drama. Who it's not for: viewers wanting action; it runs over three hours and stays almost entirely inside the clinic.