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Mifune: The Last Samurai

Play trailer 2:08 Poster for Mifune: The Last Samurai Released Nov 25, 2016 1h 20m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 36 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
This documentary explores the accidental movie career of Toshiro Mifune, one of the true giants of world cinema. Mifune made sixteen remarkable films with director Akira Kurosawa during the Golden Age of Japanese Cinema, including "Rashomon," "Seven Samurai" and "Yojimbo." Together they thrilled audiences and influenced filmmaking around the world, providing direct inspiration for not only "The Magnificent Seven" but also George Lucas' "Star Wars."
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Mifune: The Last Samurai

Mifune: The Last Samurai

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Critics Consensus

Capturing the breadth of Toshiro Mifune's storied career, if not fully reckoning with the depth of the man, The Last Samurai is a compelling celebration of one of cinema's greatest stars.

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Critics Reviews

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Matthew Lickona San Diego Reader The film works best as an appetite stimulant for richer cinematic fare. Rated: 1/5 Feb 3, 2017 Full Review Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune Nobody in cinema can rival the unique, electric combination of scowling power and exuberant physicality of Mifune. Jan 12, 2017 Full Review Andrea Gronvall Chicago Reader This concise documentary focuses largely on his artistic partnership with Akira Kurosawa but includes enough about Japan's film industry and the star's charmed life to engross fans and casual viewers alike. Jan 5, 2017 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Cineastes just discovering the Mifune-Kurosawa collaborations are encouraged to seek out Mifune: The Last Samurai to better understand the actor's immeasurable impact on both Japanese and American cinema. Rated: 3/4 Apr 9, 2022 Full Review David Lamble Bay Area Reporter Mifune: The Last Samurai benefits from insights from the subject's family and friends, and from a large stash of clips, from films whose DNA has become a vital part of our postmodern sensibility. Jun 9, 2020 Full Review Steven Prokopy Third Coast Review The Last Samurai manages to appeal to both die-hard fans and newcomers looking for an entry point into Mifune's vast filmography. Apr 30, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (5) audience reviews
Audience Member Fascinating. A humanistic look at a powerful personality. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Wish it had gone more in-depth rather than just recant his career. That said, having Keanu do the narration was a kick ass idea. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member I'd been wanting to see this, especially after listening to the director appear on a podcast, and was excited to see it pop up on Netflix. It was even better than I hoped for, not only chronicling Mifune's life and career, but serving as a nice introduction to Japanese cinema history. This history, of course, could not be properly told without Mifune and Kurosawa. With archival footage, film clips, gorgeous stills, and interviews with colleagues and family, it was a real treat to watch. I loved this documentary. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member Director Steven Okazaki brings to life perhaps one of the greatest actors of any generation and nationality. Mifune-san, whose career spanned decades, was most effective while working with the great director Akira Kurosawa-where the two teamed up to work on 17 films together-most notably "Rashomon", "Seven Samurai", "High and Low" and "Red Beard" as well as Hiroshi Inagaki's "Samurai Trilogy" - a story based on the life of famed samurai swordsman Minamoto Musashi-who penned "The Book of Five Rings"-a book that is still used by modern businessmen today. The film was based on Yoshikawa Fiji's book "Musashi". This documentary is a must-see for anyone who has seen any if not all of the aforementioned films. Okazaki does a great job collecting some of the actors he has worked with in the past as well as directors Steven Spielberg (who teamed with him in "1941") and Martin Scorsese-The latter of whose relationship with actor Robert DeNiro parallels that of Mifune and Kurosawa. The movie not only chronicles his working life, but also his younger days while serving in the Japanese military during WWII and his later years, where alcohol became a factor in his life, before he died on Christmas Eve in 1997 due to complications from Alzheimer's Disease. Mr. Okazaki does a great job of piecing together the life of an icon of Japan. Narrated by Keanu Reeves - initially a curious choice, which later proves to be an effective one. The actor's voice, known for surfer type inflection of "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" and "Point Break" or his other popular role in "The Matrix" series, takes on a measured tone that doesn't distract from the story. The clips used, were spot on. Via interviews, the filmmaker is best at drawing out his former colleagues of Mifune-who posthumously received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last week. It would have been nice to find out what happened when an apparent rift between Mifune and Kurosawa occurred for a period of decades, but since both subjects have long passed away, that The only issue I noticed occurred during two interviews towards the start of the film when Okazaki could be heard talking to the person on-camera before they spoke. But that's nitpicking as Okazaki's "Mifune..." is a film well worth watching-in theaters on December 2. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member For fans of the actor Toshirô Mifune this is a must see doc. While I'm hesitant to say any movie less than an hour and a half about the life of a person can tell you everything you need to know as compared to if you read a book or two about their life and career, this piece of non-fiction pretty much covers all the major events. And it does it entertainingly. There are lots of interviews by people who knew him, and other filmmakers who respected him from afar. All the exciting clips from this mesmerizing performer do much for this documentary about this star who was bigger than life on the big screen. And then seeing archival photos from his childhood and other behind the scenes stuff is so cool for a fan who is mainly only familiar with the roles he played. He really was a master martial artist and embodied the samurai spirit. It was the only way he could have done all the stunts and fights in his films himself. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Mifune: The Last Samurai

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis This documentary explores the accidental movie career of Toshiro Mifune, one of the true giants of world cinema. Mifune made sixteen remarkable films with director Akira Kurosawa during the Golden Age of Japanese Cinema, including "Rashomon," "Seven Samurai" and "Yojimbo." Together they thrilled audiences and influenced filmmaking around the world, providing direct inspiration for not only "The Magnificent Seven" but also George Lucas' "Star Wars."
Director
Steven Okazaki
Producer
Toshiaki Nakazawa, Tôichirô Shiraishi, Kensuke Zushi, Yukie Kito, Steven Okazaki, Taro Goto
Screenwriter
Steven Okazaki, Stuart Galbraith IV
Distributor
Strand Releasing
Production Co
Creative Associates Limited, Farallon Films
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 25, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 4, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$61.9K
Runtime
1h 20m
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