Meet Dr. Mifune

TORRANCE — Faith United Methodist Church, 2115 W. 182nd St. in Torrance, presents Japanese Movie Night on the third Sunday of the month at 5 p.m.

On Sept. 16: “Red Beard” (Akahige). According to The New Yorker, this 1965 film, the last of director Akira Kurosawa’s collaborations with actor Toshiro Mifune, is often derided as a soap opera, but the story — of a grizzled 19th-century doctor and the green physician who learns humane medical values from him — is actually a masterpiece.

The cast also includes Yuzo Kayama, Terumi Niki, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Reiko Dan, Miyuki Kuwano and Tatsuyoshi Ehara.

Running time: 3 hours, 5 minutes. Bring your own dinner if you like. Free admission and popcorn. There will be a short reflection after the movie. Info: (310) 217-7000, http://faithsouthbay.org.