I’ll start by saying that I think Toshiro Mifune is the greatest actor of all time. That’s a bold statement, but one that I came to realize on my very first screening of Seven Samurai many years ago. Naturally, I was excited about the prospects of a documentary about my favorite actor and was only slightly let down. On the one hand, I did pick up a few tidbits about him that I hadn’t heard before. On the other hand, director Steven Okazaki’s approach and style is old hat, the pace is too quick, and the subject matter is covered too broadly. I still highly recommend it, however, especially if you’re not familiar with Mifune’s amazing body of work.
Ultimately, what we have here is beginner’s guide to one of the most iconic film stars who ever lived. If anything, I hope this documentary encourages newcomers to seek out Mifune’s films. After all, in case you didn’t know, Toshiro Mifune happened to star in some of the most highly regarded, and influential movies all time.
Steven Spielberg says of him in the film, “A lot of people try to imitate Mifune, but nobody can.” I agree. The man had a presence and intensity that cannot be matched. His collaborations with legendary director Akira Kurosawa will live forever as some of the greatest films ever made. Their cinematic influence reaches far and wide and spans the globe.
The narration by Keanu Reeves offers that “Without them, there would have been no Magnificent Seven, Clint Eastwood wouldn’t have A Fistful of Dollars, and Darth Vader wouldn’t be a samurai.” And it’s true. If this seems unbelievable to you, do yourself a favor and go watch Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and The Hidden Fortress. Seriously. You should have seen all these titles by now anyway.
While the film focuses on the many collaborations between Mifune and Kurosawa, there is a bit more to it. To start, we’re offered a brief history of the early days of Japanese cinema, and the samurai dramas known as Chanbara, with fascinating silent-era footage included. These clips are nothing short of remarkable, a rare treat for any history enthusiast.
We then move into Mifune’s upbringing. While a big fan of the actor’s work, I admit that I knew very little of his life and family. For example, that he was born to Japanese parents who were living in China, only setting foot in Japan for the first time at age 20 (1940 or so), when war broke out. His wartime duties included training young pilots for kamikaze missions, a task that no doubt haunted him.
After the war, he intended on following his father into the photography business by getting jobs working with cameras on film sets. He had no intentions of becoming an actor, but due to his rugged good looks, he was noticed, and the rest is film history.
The next segment deals with the films, and a bit too quickly. While I realize that there’s a lot of ground to cover, this is the meat of the matter, and why we’re all here. I would never have expected the documentary to cover everything, it would be eight hours long (on second thought, would that have been such a bad thing?), and I’m not necessarily complaining about what is covered vs. what isn’t. It’s more that, even the films that are covered, are done so hastily. This is truly captivating, enriching, and groundbreaking cinema performed by one of the most dedicated and capable actors to ever grace the screen. I was after much more than the cursory glance that was given.
I like to dig deep, and would be completely ecstatic at the idea of a comprehensive documentary series that highlighted the contributions of Japanese cinema (can you imagine if Spielberg, Coppola, Lucas, and Scorsese all put their heads together for something like that?), but admittedly, the audience for such an endeavor may be small.
His later years and death are also handled hastily, but what is most surprisingly glossed over is his fallout with longtime collaborator Kurosawa. The point is made and driven home, that the two helped make each other, that without one, the other would never have succeeded. It seems only fitting that the eventual end of their 16-film run would be a heartbreaking and expected chapter to any documentary on either man. No such luck, and I can’t figure out why.
I truly hope that Mifune helps to open some eyes and to broaden some horizons. It’s a big world out there, and movie history is vast, covering many continents and decades. There’s a lot of films to see, you shouldn’t limit yourself to any one genre or country of origin. Other than the short running time and the lack of depth (at least for me), Mifune: The Last Samurai is a fun experience. The interviews and insights provided by contemporary filmmakers that hold the actor in high regard, as well as former co-stars and collaborators, is well worth the effort. I wanted a more in-depth look, but hey, if it gets just one person in front of a screen for any one of these many, truly amazing performances, it’s worth it in my book.
James is a writer, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.