The Toshirô Mifune Appreciation Thread

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

All right you samurai heads, Japanese DUers, lovers of Japanese film or those who have never heard of the man. Time to talk about Mifune san. What's your favorite character/roll? When did you first see him? Why does he rock so?

As for me, when I was at art school at SVA in Manhattan I roomed with a film major and an animation major. That was my introduction to Kurosawa's films (7 Samurai was the first followed by Yojimbo, Sanjuro, Hidden Fortress, Throne of Blood, etc.) and,in 7 Samurai I met that wandering, impatient, scraggily, constantly scratching tag along Kikuchiyo - I was hooked. Then there were the Musashi Miyamoto trilogy movies! Oh vey, what brilliance! So on and so on...

I was stunned with how his natural acting ability flowed off the screen, transcending the language barrier. No American western actor impreesed me, or impresses me like the master.

/ end appreciation rant

[Whitacre D_WI]

1. He had something like 6 lines in "Rashomon."

He didn't need to talk.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

3. That's what I'm talking about

He had the most epic spear battle in hidden fortress!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. I think his best performance is in

Throne of Blood. It has the greatest emotional range.

I also saw him in a non-samurai flick, in which he played a riverboat captain in love with a widow, but I don't remember the name of it.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

12. never saw that one - can you remember?

[GOPisEvil]

4. He did a hell of a job as Adm. Yamamoto in "Midway" too.

:thumbsup:

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

5. I've been meaning to see that - wasn't that an American flick?

He's been in so many!

[GOPisEvil]

6. Yes, American movie!

Made in 1976.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

7. I saw a biography once - that's what I thought

I'll have to check it out - thanks

:toast:

[sir_captain]

8. Brilliant actor

His performance in Rashomon is such a tour de force.

I was amused by how much the samurai in The Last Samurai (I think it was Ken Watanabe off the top of my head?) was trying to channel Mifune.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

10. How do you play a Samurai and not try to channel the master?

I thought the same thing

[pscot]

9. I think Kikuchiyo was his greatest character

No movie star charisma, just a wonderfully droll inside-out piece of acting. That film is in my top ten list.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

11. Agreed - no Hollywood at all - very refreshing

The first example of "keeping it real"!

:toast:

[Zech Marquis]

13. Hidden Fortress and Yojimbo

Mifune-san was the MAN :evilgrin: Throne of Blood, oh god he was so good as the villian...no one could hold a candle to him. I'll wait until I actualy see The Last Samurai before I even thin about Watanabe san being in Mifune's league.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

14. No one said they were in the same league! They're not even close!

Watanabe was just trying!