By the end of the 1940s, director Akira Kurosawa had established himself as a dependable worker for several movie studios, including Daei, who had already produced “The Quiet Duel” in 1949 and who would approach him with the proposal of adapting “In a Grove”, a short story by writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa. At the end of the same year, and despite a fire in the studio, Kurosawa and his team managed to finish “Rashomon”, which would be released in Japan to moderate success, but ultimately to some international attention, such as Giuliana Stramigioli, the president of Venice Film Festival. The rest, as they say, is history, with “Rashomon” becoming a major success for its creator and the Japanese film industry as a whole, whose reputation, even today, relies to some extent on Kurosawa’s works. Despite its role for Japanese culture, “Rashomon” regularly attracts many cinephiles and scholars for its approach to storytelling,...
- 1/28/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Peter O'Toole's acting career spanned seven decades and involved hundreds of roles, a million sardonic smirks, and no small amount of liquor. On screen, O'Toole could be heroic, villainous, affable, and off-putting, sometimes all at once. In interviews, O'Toole was frank and unguarded, quick with a jibe, and unwilling to suffer fools. O'Toole and his frequent collaborator, the actor Richard Harris, have both appeared on many talk shows toward the ends of their lives to tell many, many stories of getting drunk together.
Somewhere along the way, O'Toole garnered enough fame and clout to more or less select any project he wanted. By the time he starred in Peter Medak's "The Ruling Class" in 1972, O'Toole had already appeared in 18 feature films, including a James Bond movie. That same year, O'Toole would appear in "Under Milk Wood" and a film adaptation of "Man of La Mancha." One might say...
Somewhere along the way, O'Toole garnered enough fame and clout to more or less select any project he wanted. By the time he starred in Peter Medak's "The Ruling Class" in 1972, O'Toole had already appeared in 18 feature films, including a James Bond movie. That same year, O'Toole would appear in "Under Milk Wood" and a film adaptation of "Man of La Mancha." One might say...
- 9/9/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
When an actor appears in many films of a particular director it becomes a sort of short-hand subject to define either’s work. Sometimes it feels as if one influenced the other, or vice versa, but these collaborations end up becoming a large portion of the public’s knowledge about their prowess. One of the most emblematic of those collaborations is the Akira Kurosawa-Toshiro Mifune combo, maybe only rivaled by John Ford and John Wayne—probably not a coincidence.
But what lies beyond the confines of those classic Kurosawas? The Film Forum retrospective, now underway through March 10 and co-presented by Japan Foundation, brings 33 films showcasing the wide acting range of Toshiro Mifune. While it does contain the now-classic collaborations, it gives an opportunity to look beyond. Below, five of the least-known films from their series.
Snow Trail (Senkichi Taniguchi), 1947)
Toshiro Mifune’s first film has him top-billed alongside Takashi Nimura,...
But what lies beyond the confines of those classic Kurosawas? The Film Forum retrospective, now underway through March 10 and co-presented by Japan Foundation, brings 33 films showcasing the wide acting range of Toshiro Mifune. While it does contain the now-classic collaborations, it gives an opportunity to look beyond. Below, five of the least-known films from their series.
Snow Trail (Senkichi Taniguchi), 1947)
Toshiro Mifune’s first film has him top-billed alongside Takashi Nimura,...
- 2/14/2022
- by Jaime Grijalba
- The Film Stage
“I am a person rarely impressed by actors… but in the case of Mifune I was completely overwhelmed. The ordinary Japanese actor might need ten feet of film to get across an impression. Toshirō Mifune needed only three feet,” said Akira Kurosawa.
One of the greatest talents in cinema history, Toshirō Mifune left behind a staggering body of work amassing over 150 starring roles. Born on April 1, 1920, a retrospective was planned for 2020 timed to his centennial and now, after a delay due to the pandemic, it will kick off next week at NYC’s Film Forum. Featuring 35mm rarities and rediscoveries imported from the libraries of The Japan Foundation and The National Film Archive of Japan, the series will run for a whopping four weeks, from February 11 through March 10, and feature 33 films.
Ahead of the retrospective, we’re pleased to exclusively debut the trailer, edited by John Zhao, highlighting what is...
One of the greatest talents in cinema history, Toshirō Mifune left behind a staggering body of work amassing over 150 starring roles. Born on April 1, 1920, a retrospective was planned for 2020 timed to his centennial and now, after a delay due to the pandemic, it will kick off next week at NYC’s Film Forum. Featuring 35mm rarities and rediscoveries imported from the libraries of The Japan Foundation and The National Film Archive of Japan, the series will run for a whopping four weeks, from February 11 through March 10, and feature 33 films.
Ahead of the retrospective, we’re pleased to exclusively debut the trailer, edited by John Zhao, highlighting what is...
- 2/4/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
TOKYO -- Director Senkichi Taniguchi died Monday at a Tokyo hospital after a bout with pneumonia, his family said Wednesday. He was 95.
Tokyo native Taniguchi was a childhood friend of Akira Kurosawa. In 1947, he made his debut behind the camera for The Snow Trail, which the legendary director had written. The film starred Toshiro Mifune and actress Setsuko Wakayama, whom Taniguchi married in 1949.
Taniguchi and Kurosawa switched roles for the 1949 movie The Quiet Duel, also starring Mifune.
He made a string of movies during the 1950s, but it was during the '60s that he made many of his best known works including Man Against Man, The Lost World of Sinbad, The Gambling Samurai and Man in the Storm.
He divorced Wakayama in 1956 and the next year married another actress, Kaori Yachigusa, with whom he spent nearly half a century.
Tokyo native Taniguchi was a childhood friend of Akira Kurosawa. In 1947, he made his debut behind the camera for The Snow Trail, which the legendary director had written. The film starred Toshiro Mifune and actress Setsuko Wakayama, whom Taniguchi married in 1949.
Taniguchi and Kurosawa switched roles for the 1949 movie The Quiet Duel, also starring Mifune.
He made a string of movies during the 1950s, but it was during the '60s that he made many of his best known works including Man Against Man, The Lost World of Sinbad, The Gambling Samurai and Man in the Storm.
He divorced Wakayama in 1956 and the next year married another actress, Kaori Yachigusa, with whom he spent nearly half a century.
- 11/1/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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