It's easy to see why Toshiro Mifune is considered the most famous and celebrated Japanese actor in film circles around the world. The iconic actor was a favorite of legendary director Akira Kurosawa, with iconic roles in classics such as Seven Samurai, Rashomon, and Yojimbo. He also played the leading role in the Samurai Trilogy, which depicted the life of legendary warrior Musashi Miyamoto. It's no question that his charismatic screen presence was one of the biggest impacts on Kurosawa's films inspiring A Fistful of Dollars, The Magnificent Seven, and Star Wars.

Now a trailer for Academy Award winning director Steven Okazaki's documentary, Mifune: The Last Samurai, has been released. The documentary "explores the accidental movie career of Toshiro Mifune, one of the true giants of world cinema", and offers insight into what made the Japanese icon just so great, with input from big names in the world of film such as Steven Spielberg. As the film has been screening at festivals around the world, it doesn't have an official public release date yet, but it looks like a definite must for fans of Mifune and Japanese film.

You can keep an eye out for pre-order and other info at Strand Releasing.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.