Mifune: The Last Samurai
A documentary portrait of Kurosawa's muse, Toshiro Mifune, with whom Kurosawa reinvented the modern movie samurai hero. Narrated by Keanu Reeves.
"After falling into acting by accident, Mifune came to the attention of Kurosawa in the late 1940s, just as the filmmaker was finding his stride. "Mifune became Kurosawa's wild artistic id," Variety's Owen Gleiberman said of Kurosawa's trusted collaborator, "as surely as Robert De Niro was Martin Scorsese's in the '70s." Scruffy, scowling and ferocious, Mifune's performance in Rashomon was seemingly at odds with his debonair and charming true self. Oscar-winning director Steven Okazaki (Days of Waiting) skilfully plays with this dichotomy, switching from clips of Mifune's iconic roles to photos of the actor relaxing at home." (Sydney Film Festival)
201580 minsJapanJapanese and English with English subtitles
Documentary
- Director:
- Steven Okazaki ('Living on Tokyo Time', 'Unfinished Business', 'White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki')
- Writer:
- Stuart Galbraith IVSteven Okazaki
- Cast:
- Keanu ReevesMartin ScorseseSteven SpielbergWataru AkashiKyôko KagawaTakeshi KatôToshirō Mifune
Mifune: The Last Samurai / Reviews
The New York Times
It's a brisk and energetic primer for those who don't know his movies or are ready to watch them again. And it doubles as a history of the chanbara (sword fighting) genre...
Full reviewNPR
Mifune: The Last Samurai is a relatively short film that would have benefited from additional voices, as well as more Kurosawa-like sweep and Mifune-style verve.
Full review
Los Angeles Times
A smart and thoughtful examination of who the man was and how he got that way.
Full review
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