Mifune: The Last Samurai

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 bySteven Okazaki
Screenplay by
Produced byToshiaki Nakazawa
Starring
Cinematography
  • Tohru Hina
  • Yasuyuki Ishikawa
Edited bySteven Okazaki
Music byJeffrey Wood
Production
companies
  • Creative Associates Limited
  • Farallon Films
Distributed byStrand Releasing
Release dates
  • September 7, 2015 (2015-09-07) (Venice)
  • November 25, 2016 (2016-11-25)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited States


Cast

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Production

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Mifune was produced by Toshiaki Nakazawa, known for producing 13 Assassins and Sukiyaki Western Django.[2]

Writing

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Mifune is inspired by the book Samurai: Hyōden Mifune Toshirō (Samurai: A Biography of Mifune Toshirō) by Matsuda Michiko.[1][3]

Release

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Mifune 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

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On April 25, 2017, Netflix began streaming Mifune in the United States on the same day as its DVD release.[6]

Reception

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On 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

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Venice Film Festival (2015)
Hawaii International Film Festival (2016)
Denver International Film Festival (2016)

References

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  1. ^ a b Okazaki, Steven (Director) (November 25, 2016). Mifune: The Last Samurai (Motion picture). United States: Creative Associates Limited.
  2. ^ a b Maunula, Vili. "Mifune: The Last Samurai shown at the Venice Film Festival". Akira Kurosawa Info. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  3. ^ "Matsuda Michiko". Nippon. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  4. ^ Kohn, Eric (November 23, 2016). "Toshiro Mifune: The First Non-White Movie Hero – Interview". IndieWire. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  5. ^ "Hollywood Chamber to Honor Toshiro Mifune with Walk of Fame Star". Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  6. ^ "Mifune Netflix and DVD Release". Farallon Films. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  7. ^ "Mifune: The Last Samurai". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  8. ^ "Mifune: The Last Samurai". Metacritic. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
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