Drunken Angel is a 1948 Kurosawa movie starring Takashi Shimura as an alcoholic doctor in postwar Japan who treats a young, small-time hood named Matsunaga (ToshirÅ Mifune), after a gunfight with a rival syndicate. The doctor diagnoses the young gangster with tuberculosis, and convinces him to begin treatment for it. The two enjoy an uneasy friendship until the gangster’s former boss is released from prison and seeks to take his gang over once again. The sick young man then stops following the doctor’s advice, slips back into old habits and threatens to kill him, while his life is further endangered by his gangster lifestyle. Read more…
The Quiet Duel is an early (1949) Kurosawa film in which ToshirÅ Mifune plays a young idealistic doctor, still a virgin, who works at his father’s clinic in a small and seedy district. During a life-saving operation he cuts himself contaminates himself and contracts syphilis, which at the time was virtually incurable. Read more…
In Zatoichi vs Yojimbo Zatoichi returns to his peaceful village, only to find that it has been taken over by Masagoro. When Masagoro hears Zatoichi is back, he sends Yojimbo to kill him. In their initial encounter, they both feel a grudging respect for the other… Read more…
Samurai Rebellion is a 1967 jidaigeki (period drama) directed by Masaki Kobayashi. Its original Japanese title is JÅi-uchi: HairyÅ tsuma shimatsu, which translates as Rebellion: Receive the Wife. The movie is set in the Edo period of Japan. Toshiro Mifune plays Isaburo Sasahara, a vassal of the daimyo of the Aisu clan. Read more…
The Samurai Trilogy is a film trilogy directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and starring ToshirÅ Mifune as Musashi Miyamoto and Koji Tsuruta as KojirÅ Sasaki. The films are based on the novel by Eiji Yoshikawa, about the famous duellist and author of The Book of Five Rings.
Together, they are a trilogy of epic proportions following the character growth of Musashi from brash—yet strong—young soldier to thoughtful and introspective samurai, culminating in Musashi’s duel with the greatest opponent he would ever face. Read more…
ToshirÅ Mifune (1920–97) was a Japanese actor who appeared in almost 170 feature films. He is best known for his collaboration with filmmaker Akira Kurosawa in films such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, and Yojimbo. He is also popular for portraying Musashi Miyamoto in Hiroshi Inagaki’s Samurai Trilogy. Read more…
Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honoris a 1970 film telling the true story of the end of the Shogunate. The tragedy of the Shinsengumi is one of the best loved stories of Japanese history and has been adapted many times on stage, screen, television, and anime. This film, starring Toshirô Mifune and an all-star cast, stands out as one of the definitive adaptations of this classic tale. Read more…
The Hidden Fortress is a 1958 movie directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring ToshirÅ Mifune as General Rokurota Makabe and Misa Uehara as Princess Yuki. A literal translation of the Japanese title is The Three Villains of the Hidden Fortress. Read more…
Stray Dog is a 1949 film noir directed by Akira Kurosawa. Rookie homicide detective Murakami (ToshirÅ Mifune) frantically seeks his stolen Colt pistol which, to his shame, has been pickpocketed on a bus. A manhunt begins when the stolen gun is used in a murder. The older and wiser detective, Sato (Takashi Shimura), takes Murakami under his wing. Read more…
Sanjuro is a 1962 black and white Japanese samurai film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring ToshirÅ Mifune. It is a sequel to Kurosawa’s previous film Yojimbo, with Mifune reprising his role as a wandering ronin. The film combines action and humour, and is lighter in tone than its predecessor. Read more…
