The Quiet Duel (1949)

[Drunk Monk]

Every once in a while, I get these comp DVDs like Ultraman. Most really suck. Here's one that was an absolute delight. The Quiet Duel was an early work by my fav director Akira Kurosawa, featuring both Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura in very early roles. It's about a doctor who gets syphillus during the war by operating on a patient. Of course, syph flicks are pretty dated today, but this one's a diamond in the rough, a fascinating study on the early workings of three of my fav artists in very different roles. Mifune is almost unrecognizable, so young, mostly stoic, but turns in an awesome scene about the frustrations of being a virgin with the clap. Shimura is as authentic as ever, wise, humane, troubled. Kurosawa brings more color to B&W then most directors can bring to color today. Brilliant use of textures and lighting. And he works the rain motif, which would be consistant in Seven Samurai and Rashomon. The film is full of some grand Kurosawa moments.

Am I fawning too much? Hey, it's Kurosawa. He's never failed me with a single film.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

How does a virgin get syphyllus again?

[Drunk Monk]

a doctor who gets syphillus during the war by operating on a patient

. It's not a spoiler because it happens in the first scene and it's described on the outside of the box. He cuts himself, then operates with out a glove because it's war time, thus soaking his thumb in the patient's blood for over an hour.

Later, Mifune, as the doctor, has to deal with said patient, who is an unrepentant cad, a drunk, and gave his pregnant wife the clap too. Then there's the baby. We all know what the clap did to babies in the 50's. Anyway, it's an incredibly dated scene since the notion of a virgin doctor stigmatized by the clap is dated, but Mifune pulls it off magnificently. It's a glimmer of what was to come with Mifune's signature performances.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Would you mind posting the box so I won't make such a jejeune mistake. 'preciate it.

[Drunk Monk]

[cranefly]

Based on the poster, I'm going to give this movie a three.

Speaking of the clap, why do passengers on airlines in South America applaud upon landing?

Is there something I should know?

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

I think you just realized why they are all generally referred to as "Adios Airlines"...

-PPFY(ZY)