Mifune: The Last Samurai

"Mifune: The Last Samurai" is a painstakingly crafted documentary about Toshiro Mifune's cinematic prowess. As such, it spans not only the Golden Age of Japanese Cinema, but also a bit beyond Mifune's life in both directions.

Given the large scope in time as well as geography, it has good pacing as well as a wonderful utilization of iconic pieces of global cinema. Interviews with Japanese family, friends and contemporaries as well as American admirers such as Martin Scorsese and Stephen Spielberg balance out the highlight reels of Mifune's work and the occasionally gritty explorations of Mifune's zeitgeist. A Mifune fan would still find new work of his to watch: Even though the documentary cannot list all of Mifune's work, there are tiny gems that have gone unnoticed by most casual fans.

The documentary follows Mifune from his birth in China as he becomes a poor soldier in World War II forward to the prime of his movie star career and then his steady decline and death in the late 1990s. For anyone unfamiliar with Toshiro Mifune or modern Japanese history, this documentary is not a fascinating window into his best and worst work. It is a decent additional primer for Mifune fans, but not a useful introduction. The movies he made are presented chronologically, and although the selections are curated, the movies at some point become a nonsense list, particularly since some of the movies listed are formulaic at best and horrible at worst. In a nearly fifty-year career, not every investment of time and energy paid off.

What is missing are any interviews of Mifune himself, but that is not the fault of the documentary. Mifune was notable for his work ethic and not necessarily for how he talked about his life. Instead, a viewer must rely on the words of those who knew him, as well as the impressions of those whom he inspired. There is a general sense throughout the documentary that every piece of his life is clearly worth exploring, which is why we are treated to his infamous exploits in addition to how honorable he was as a working actor on set. Clearly, this was a labor of love by a team who respected and honored the contributions of Mifune and Toho Productions to global cinema, but it is an effort that has created a documentary only necessary for die hard fans.

"Mifune: The Last Samurai"
Directed by Steven Okazaki
Strand Releasing
English/Japanese
80 mins
In theatres now
http://www.strandreleasing.com/films/mifune-last-samurai