The second movie of the Samurai Trilogy takes our characters Musashi's battle with a famous sword school three years after the events of the first movie. Musashi has learned that he is strong, but not zen enough to truly be a Samurai - This movie focuses on his growth during that time, and his engagement with the Yoshiaka Sword School
In the meantime he crosses path with another master, who seems bound and determined to let Musashi reach his peak potential before challenging him to a duel - These two will face off in the third movie.
A few brief words today about Toshiro Mifune, the main character - One could argue he was the Clint Eastwood of the Samurai Genre, and this was his "Fistful of Dollars" - A versatile actor we last saw in Seven Samurai - (made the same year as this movie) - Toshiro probably did more for the "wandering warrior" genre than anyone and these movies were what started that off - In fact, one could say that he DID inspire Clint Eastwood, as Mifune's portrayal of a hired gun coming into town between two rival gangs was done first in Yojimbo (1961) than before Clint Eastwood in "A Fistful of Dollars" three years later.
Toshiro can play a wild man, a composed doctor, a gruff samurai, or any number or chracters and is probably the best known Japanese actor of his time to western audiences.
His most famous collaborations are with Akira Kurosawa, and they made 16 films together before having a falling out - Their movie "The Hidden Fortress" was an inspiration for George Lucas and Star Wars, and it's said on the Wikipedia page that Lucas offered him either the part of Obi-Wan Kenobi or Vader but Mifune turned him down.
As someone who's seen a lot of his films, it strikes me how much his acting change from film to film - you see a film with Tom Cruise, you know you're getting Tom Cruise - he's the same guy whether in Risky Business or Mission Impossible - the same delivery, mannerisms, voice, etc- Same with Clint Eastwood - you're getting "That archtype Clint Eastwood" no matter what film he's in
With Mifune he doesn't really have an archtype - he would look for something, maybe insignificant, like scratching himself, and use that to define the character, and he would change the character from film to film - aside from his voice, (which is strong and gruff) - he often changes how he presents himself so much that you do feel like you're looking at a different actor and a different archtype - he is most famous in his Samurai persona, but even those change from film to film - He has also done an excellent job in what were contemporary films of the day as well with no trace of the wild man Samurai in films like "Japan's Longest Day" where he plays the the War Minister, Amani at the last days of World War II
Mifune improves any film he's in, and it's no surprise this trilogy was the film that gave him (along with his Seven Samurai performance the same year) - a boost to his career
RB
No comments:
Post a Comment