Shôhei Imamura – Kanzô sensei AKA Dr. Akagi (1998)
The film concerns Dr. Akagi, a doctor on an island in the Seto Inland Sea area during World War II. He runs into conflict with the military while trying to combat a hepatitis epidemic. Akagi earns the nickname “Dr. Liver” (カンゾー先生 Kanzō-sensei) because of his work, though the townsfolk use it as a humorous dig at his persistent diagnosis. Though the broad circumstance of Japan slowly losing the war is the setting, many of the interactions and situations tilt into humor, for instance; the very music used for the doctor running from patient to patient has an upbeat and light-hearted tone.
Donald Richie, International Herald Tribune wrote:
“Doctor Liver” is what they call Takagi sensei, a medical man in a small Inland Sea port during World War II. Convinced that liver complaints are the major cause of death he selflessly goes about his sometimes perilous research. This includes digging up the body of the local projectionist so that he can get at the diseased organ, chasing a giant whale, perhaps after the oil, and witnessing the dropping of the atom bomb, in the enveloping cloud of which he, sure enough, detects a large, malignant liver. That’s about all there is an affectionate chronicle of small-town eccentricity and lame-brained dedication. One is reminded of Akira Kurosawa’s last film, “Madadayo,” also a celebration of a headstrong sensei and one just as filled with jocular sentiment. Both look back upon a world of warm eccentricity and droll consequences. They don’t make films like this anymore.
Dr. Akagi 1998 PAL DVD DD2.0 x264-RR.mkv General Container: Matroska Runtime: 2h 4mn Size: 3.07 GiB Video Codec: x264 Resolution: 716x552 ~> 1021x552 Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 Frame rate: 25.000 fps Bit rate: 3 277 Kbps BPP: 0.332 Audio #1: Japanese 2.0ch AC-3 @ 192 Kbps
https://nitro.download/view/9B61BD0973C5CF4/Dr._Akagi_1998_PAL_DVD_DD2.0_x264-RR.mkv
Language(s):Japanese
Subtitles:English