Mifune: The Last Samurai, also known as Mifune, is a 2015 biographical documentary directed and co-written by Steven Okazaki. It chronicles the life of Toshiro Mifune, a Japanese actor and international star most noted for playing samurai characters in films by Akira Kurosawa.[1]
| Mifune: The Last Samurai | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Steven Okazaki |
| Screenplay by |
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| Produced by | Toshiaki Nakazawa |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | Steven Okazaki |
| Music by | Jeffrey Wood |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Strand Releasing |
Release dates |
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Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
Cast
edit- Toshiro Mifune (archival footage) as himself
- Akira Kurosawa (archival footage) as himself
- Kyōko Kagawa as herself
- Yoko Tsukasa as herself
- Yoshio Tsuchiya as himself
- Takeshi Kato as himself
- Kaoru Yachigusa as herself
- Yosuke Natsuki as himself
- Terumi Niki as herself
- Steven Spielberg as himself
- Martin Scorsese as himself
- Shiro Mifune as himself
- Hisao Kurosawa as himself
- Teruyo Nogami as herself
- Tadao Sato as himself
- Sadao Nakajima as himself
- Haruo Nakajima as himself
- Kanzo Uni as himself
- Wataru Akashi as himself
- Kōji Yakusho as himself
- Keanu Reeves as narrator
Production
editMifune was produced by Toshiaki Nakazawa, known for producing 13 Assassins and Sukiyaki Western Django.[2]
Writing
editMifune is inspired by the book Samurai: Hyōden Mifune Toshirō (Samurai: A Biography of Mifune Toshirō) by Matsuda Michiko.[1][3]
Release
editMifune officially opened on November 25, 2016 at the IFC Center in New York City, over a year after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September 2015.[4][2]
Its opening coincided with Toshiro Mifune being honored with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—the ceremony also featured a screening of the film.[5]
Home media
editOn April 25, 2017, Netflix began streaming Mifune in the United States on the same day as its DVD release.[6]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 82% based on 34 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10.[7]
On Metacritic, the film has a score of 64 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8]
Awards and nominations
edit- Venice Film Festival (2015)
- Nominated – Best Documentary on Cinema – Steven Okazaki
- Nominated – Documentary Feature – Steven Okazaki
- Nominated – Best Documentary – Steven Okazaki
References
edit- ^ a b Okazaki, Steven (Director) (November 25, 2016). Mifune: The Last Samurai (Motion picture). United States: Creative Associates Limited.
- ^ a b Maunula, Vili. "Mifune: The Last Samurai shown at the Venice Film Festival". Akira Kurosawa Info. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
- ^ "Matsuda Michiko". Nippon. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
- ^ Kohn, Eric (November 23, 2016). "Toshiro Mifune: The First Non-White Movie Hero – Interview". IndieWire. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
- ^ "Hollywood Chamber to Honor Toshiro Mifune with Walk of Fame Star". Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
- ^ "Mifune Netflix and DVD Release". Farallon Films. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
- ^ "Mifune: The Last Samurai". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
- ^ "Mifune: The Last Samurai". Metacritic. Retrieved May 14, 2018.