Toshiro Mifune : Top 10 Essential And Critically Acclaimed Films
1. Seven Samurai (1954)
***Toshiro Mifune's Triumphant Epic, Beautifully Portrayed With Stunning Acting***
"The Mighty Warriors Who Became the Seven National Heroes of a Small Town"
"This is the nature of war. By protecting others, you save yourselves."
Akira
Kurosawa was and is considered the master of east-western film-making.
Story-telling at its finest, "Seven Samurai" is a terrific film not
because
of a handful of memorable scenes or lines, but rather because
scene-by-scene, frame-by-frame, it tells an interesting story as well as
it
is possible to tell it. The story and characters are developed
carefully,
and everything about the movie, from the settings and props to the
musical
score, is done carefully and expertly.
Toshiro Mifune's character stands
in the middle and represents this difference - perhaps meant to suggest
that mankind can strive to rise above his flaws, but mostly suggesting
to me that the common man is basically a mess and we should learn to
respect our betters. Toshiro Mifune proves why he became one of Japan's most
notorious film actors.
2. Rashomon (1950)
***Rashomon - Kurosawa's Journey Into Human Psyche***
"The husband, the wife...or the bandit?"
"Priest: I, for one, have seen hundreds of men dying like animals, but even I've never before heard anything as terrible as this. Horrible, it's horrible! There's never been anything, anything as terrible as this, never! It's worse than fires, wars, epidemics, or bandits! "
The movie "Rashomon" which introduced Japanese cinema to the world. The movie
which introduced Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune to the world - Rashomon. The plot based on ancient Japan where Samurai's dwelled and women had no rights,
Rashomon is actually a series of flashbacks. The movie starts with a
woodcutter, a priest and a commoner discussing about something unusual
that happened in the court that day. The Woodcutter was summoned to the
court as a witness to the dead body of a Samurai. As, the movie
progresses, it is clear that an infamous bandit (Toshiro Mifune) killed the Samurai
because of the lust of his beautiful wife. This particular crime though
is recalled from four different point's of view. The bandit, the
Samurai's wife, the dead Samurai himself (With the help of black magic,
entering the body of another human) and the woodcutter who was an
Eyewitness to murder the entire scene. All four of them present
completely different perspectives of the same murder and it is left to
the audience to decide whose version may be true.
The plot itself is very unique and engaging. Kurosawa has made this
already interesting plot into an exceptional movie with his accurate
and detailed direction. The camera use is also of the highest order
which enhances the feel of the movie. Special credit goes to all the
actors who had to shoot the same scenario four times but with different
mindsets, expressions and dialogues. Among the actors, a special
mention should go to Toshiro Mifune who
ruled the screen with his animalistic rage and passion. A very
enriching movie experience which left me wanting for more of the great
director. In my all-time favorite movie's list straightaway .
3. Yojimbo (1961)
***Toshiro Mifune - Terrific, Spectacular And Effective***
"You don't mind if I kill all of you?" "What? Kill me if you can!" "It'll hurt."
"Unosuke, gunfighter: By the way, those six men were cut up pretty well. You're the only one around here good enough to have done something like that.
Sanjuro: And your point?
Unosuke, gunfighter: I'm thinking that you were the one who killed those six men. "
In 1860, a time when the sword is still the most common weapon in the
Japanese province, but gradually gets replaced by the revolver, a
lonely Ronin, a Samurai without a master to serve,(Toshiro Mifune) who
dashes around the county, comes to a little town terrorized by two
bosses and their criminal gangs and decides to end the people's
suffering and free the town. He is hired by one of the gangs as a
bodyguard, only to switch sides and pit the two, already hostile, gangs
against each other.
In Yojimbo, Toshiro Mifune incredibly outdoes himself with a portrayal
that can be excruciatingly hard to be described in words. He is
impressive in his role of the Samurai, generally the acting is great in
this movie, the supporting cast contains such actors as the great and
unforgettable Takashi Shimura. The cinematography is great and the
movie's brilliant score, composed by Fumio Hayasaka, is one of its
kind. The writing and directing by the inimitable Akira Kurosawa is
more than brilliant. One of the greatest movies by one of the greatest
directors of all-time, and an absolute must-see for everyone interested
in cinema!
4. Samurai Rebellion (1967)
***A True Cinematic Masterpiece You Will Ever See***
"Isaburo Sasahara: When you grow up, become a woman just like your mother. And marry a man just like your father. Be sure to do that. Marry a man just like your father."
Toshiro Mifune (Isaburo Sasahara) , trapped in a loveless marriage and bored with his position
within his clan, would just like to enjoy his grandchild and see his sons
have a happier life than he. But the same forces that conspired to trap
him
in his situation--duty to family and obligations to the clan and feudal
chain of command--now threaten his son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter.
Under great pressure, he resists the persuasion of his wife's family and
his
clan to bow to "duty". The tension builds--perhaps at one point a little
too drawn out-- to an exciting climax.
This film is just so filled with emotion, in almost every scene,
notably the final charge of Toshiro Mifune's character against
countless gunman in which he dies wishing luck for his grandchild,
which signifies selflessness to the death, an utmost act of devotion to
ones family. And even though critics will say this isn't for the
swordplay fans, the action that is in the film is geniusly carried out
and choreographed to perfection.
5. Throne Of Blood (1957)
***A Shakespeare's Tale And Kurosawa's Epic Masterpiece***
"I Will Paint This Whole Forest With Blood"
Toshiro Mifune stars as the Japanese
equivalent to Macbeth: a war hero-turned-ruler who, upon being egged by
his vindictive and cynical wife (Isuzu Yamada) and being told a strange
prophecy about his future, plots to murder his own master and anybody
who stands in his way. Once the murder is committed, peace does not
follow, but rather a long chain of bloody killings until the position
Mifune holds is exactly what the title personifies.
"Throne of Blood" is not a perfect film, however. The music score by
Masaru Sato, save for the opening theme and a few cues here and there,
is rather forgettable. Some of the supporting cast members, such as
those by Akira Kubo and Takashi Shimura seem very underdeveloped.
However, any weaknesses that become noticeable are soon forgiven when
Kurosawa's original and the terrific ending scene comes into the frame which
was a major improvement over the disappointing climax from the play.
6. Sanjuro (1962)
***An Enjoyable And Entertaining Film From Kurosawa***
"Mutsuta's wife: You're too sharp. That's your trouble. You're like a drawn sword. Sharp, naked without a sheath. You cut well. But good swords are kept in their sheaths. "
"Once as I rode by, someone said "the rider has a longer face than the horse."
The sequel to Yojimbo, Sanjuro continues the journey of a lost but
experienced samurai who's in search for nothing more than a decent
place and food to stay and dine in. He encounters corruption in a small
sleepy town, and decides to get involved. Similar to Yojimbo in plot
structure, but it lacks the intensity of the prequel. Akira Kurosawa's
directional style is evident, but this is a light-hearted film compared
to his serious works like Seven Samurai, and Rashomon.
Toshiro Mifune (The Samurai) is the other reason to watch Sanjuro (besides this being
a Kurosawa work); he snarls to perfection here. The film has its
humorous moments, often the result of sarcastic remarks made by
Mifune's character. The artistic direction is excellent, although most
of the cast are fairly one-dimensional, but that means Mifune's able to
work his magic on the viewers full-time. The result is an enjoyable
escapist flick that is unsurprisingly well-crafted by Kurosawa.
7. High and Low (1963)
***Intense, Perfect And Highly Entertaining***
"Kingo Gondo: Why should you and I hate each other?
Ginjirô Takeuchi, medical intern: I don't know. I'm not interested in self-analysis. I do know my room was so cold in winter and so hot in summer I couldn't sleep. Your house looked like heaven, high up there. That's how I began to hate you. "
A child of a chauffeur is mistakenly kidnapped in the place of a Kingo Gondo's son. The businessman, involved in a high-stakes takeover of
his company from his erring bosses, chooses to risk losing his shirt to pay
the ransom for a child not his own. While the clock is ticking on both the
businessman's fortune and the child's life, the police decide that they want
a sure conviction rather than a quick arrest.
Toshiro Mifune (Kingo Gondo) shines as the businessman while Tatuya Nakadai makes a fine
appearance as Inspector Tokura. Tsutomu Yamazaki as the kidnapper debuts
into a glorious career. Many of the bit players who appear only briefly
eventually became big stars notably Eijiro Tono as the worker in a shoe
factory and Nekohachi Edoya as the charming engineer who identifies a train,
gesturing with chopsticks, by merely listening to recorded
sounds.
8. Red Beard (1965)
***A Movie Bigger Than Life Itself***
"Genzo Tsugawa: We knew you were coming two weeks ago. It seems he likes you. He's unfriendly to people he likes. Not me. He never finds fault with me. He ignores me completely. "
Red Beard tells the story
of Dr. Kyojio Niide (Red Beard) and his intern Dr. Noboru Yasumoto.
Yasumoto has just arrived from Nagasaki, where he was learning medicine
at a Dutch academy. Upon arriving at Red beard's clinic, he learns that
he is to stay there (rather than to be called upon) as an intern. This
angers him, for he had ambitions to be the doctor of the Shogun. The
clinic is hardly a dream location. And, he isn't exactly too keen on
Red Beard's "dictator" like rules. He becomes arrogant, and tries to
break all the rules on purpose, so Red beard will send him away. But,
in the process of facing the deaths of two of the clinic's patients, he
starts to change and begins to learn the true beauty of life. He begins
to understand Red Beard's non-conservative thinking.
Mifune played the part with a subtle sort of intensity, a far cry from
his usually angry Samurai roles. It really was an excellent acting. In one particularly great scene, Red Beard dismantles a
bunch of thugs in Steven Seagal-esquire fight scene, he uses his
knowledge of the human body to fracture certain bones in their body.
After this scene, he evaluates and damage he's done and realises he was
too harsh, he proceeds by patching up their injuries. The protagonist
also gives an admirable performance, displaying all the traits
necessary for a complex individual who undergoes a miraculous change by
the end of the film. A special mention goes to the child actors who
were simply superb, one scene near the end was especially moving and I
think it even made me shed a tear or two.
9. The Bad Sleep Well (1960)
***Moving And Gripping Noir Classic***
"Koichi Nishi: They starved you and my father with scraps from their table, killed you as scapegoats, and still you can't hate them."
"Construction Company President Hatano: A man with a full stomach doesn't bother with snacks."
"The Bad Sleep Well" is one of Kurasawa's most underrated, and while not
his best or one of my favourites it is towards the better end of the
spectrum in regard to his movies. The movie is perhaps a little too
long, but so much compensates. Such as the superb cinematography(always
deliberate yet with something always to see and admire) and
direction(subtle while not undermining the sombre and sometimes tense
tone), and the beautifully compositioned scenery.
The music is often
haunting, while the story(loosely based on Hamlet) while not quite as
riveting as High and Low is interesting with an astonishing sequence
involving Nishi and Wada at his own funeral and a suitably bleak
ending. Toshiro Mifune plays one of those characters that goes to
extremes but you do feel pity for him, and Mifune acts with his usual
charisma.
10. The Hidden Fortress (1958)
***A Great Adventure And Memorable Film***
"Hide stones among stones, men among men"
"Tahei: Get away from me! You stink of dead bodies! "
"The Hidden Fortress" has to be the most watchable and fun of all Kurosawa's
pictures. While he made a lot of highly entertaining action flicks,
Hidden Fortress is pure adventure. The pace never lets down for a
second, but Kurosawa still finds time for poignancy and humanity.
The music in "The Hidden Fortress" is one of its best features, especially
the incredibly powerful and rousing main theme. This is probably the
first really great score from Masaru Sato, who had been working with
Kurosawa since 1955's Ikimono no Kiroku.
Toshiro Mifune is of course the real performer of the film
but the story is told from the perspective of the two down and out
peasants who've just escaped from a burying detail.
One more point – while everyone seems to know that this was a major
part of George Lucas' inspiration for Star Wars, has anyone else
noticed the similarities between Hidden Fortress and Sergio Leone's The
Good, the Bad and the Ugly? A group of people who don't really trust
each other and would as soon double cross each other as help each
other, working together purely to get their hands on a fortune in gold,
set against the backdrop of a war. Then again, these stories are as old
as the hills and will keep on cropping up time and again.
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