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Toshirō Mifune
Toshirō Mifune

Toshirō Mifune (April 1, 1920 - December 24, 1997) was a Japanese actor who is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Japanese cinema. He was born in Qingdao, China, but was raised in Japan. Mifune's career spanned over 50 years, during which he collaborated extensively with renowned director Akira Kurosawa, creating som... more

Toshirō Mifune (April 1, 1920 - December 24, 1997) was a Japanese actor who is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Japanese cinema. He was born in Qingdao, China, but was raised in Japan. Mifune's career spanned over 50 years, during which he collaborated extensively with renowned director Akira Kurosawa, creating some of the most iconic films in Japanese cinema.

Mifune gained international recognition for his performances in Kurosawa's films, particularly in samurai films. He portrayed strong, dynamic, and often rebellious characters, bringing a raw intensity to his roles. Some of his notable collaborations with Kurosawa include "Rashomon" (1950), "Seven Samurai" (1954), "Yojimbo" (1961), and "The Hidden Fortress" (1958), which inspired George Lucas's "Star Wars."

Apart from his work with Kurosawa, Mifune appeared in numerous other films, showcasing his versatility as an actor. He played roles in various genres, including dramas, comedies, and war films. Some of his other notable films include "The Throne of Blood" (1957), "High and Low" (1963), and "Red Beard" (1965).

Mifune's charismatic presence, powerful performances, and ability to convey complex emotions made him an iconic figure in Japanese cinema. He received international recognition and awards for his contributions to the film industry, including several honors at the Venice Film Festival and a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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Starred In [75]
Produced [2]
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Seven Samurai
(1954)
Action, Drama
A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits, so the samurai gathers six others to help him teach the people how to defend themselves, and the villagers provide the soldiers with food.
Runtime:
207 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Inaba, Seiji Miyaguchi, Minoru Chiaki
8.6
100%
98
More Information
Rashomon
(1950)
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Brimming with action while incisively examining the nature of truth, "Rashomon" is perhaps the finest film ever to investigate the philosophy of justice. Through an ingenious use of camera and flashbacks, Kurosawa reveals the complexities of human nature as four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the r...
Runtime:
88 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki
8.2
98%
98
More Information
Yojimbo
(1961)
Drama, Thriller
A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and sake merchant Tokuemon to hire him as a personal bodyguard, then artfully sets in...
Runtime:
110 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yôko Tsukasa, Isuzu Yamada, Daisuke Katō
8.2
95%
93
More Information
High and Low
(1963)
Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
An executive of a shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped and held for ransom.
Runtime:
142 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Kyōko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi, Isao Kimura
8.4
95%
N/A
More Information
Throne of Blood
(1957)
Drama, History
Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu and Miki are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit's prophecy comes true, Washizu's scheming wife, Asaji, presses him to speed up the rest of the spirit's prophecy by murdering his lord and usurping his place. Director Akira Kurosawa'...
Runtime:
108 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Akira Kubo, Hiroshi Tachikawa, Takashi Shimura
8.1
95%
N/A
More Information
The Hidden Fortress
(1958)
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Japanese peasants Matashichi and Tahei try and fail to make a profit from a tribal war. They find a man and woman whom they believe are simple tribe members hiding in a fortress. Although the peasants don't know that Rokurota is a general and Yuki is a princess, the peasants agree to accompany the pair to safety in return for gold. Alo...
Runtime:
139 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki, Misa Uehara, Kamatari Fujiwara
8.1
97%
89
More Information
Sanjuro
(1962)
Action, Comedy, Drama
Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Kurosawa's tightly paced, beautifully composed "Sanjuro." In this companion piece and sequel to "Yojimbo," jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan's evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a proper samurai on i...
Runtime:
96 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Keiju Kobayashi, Yûzô Kayama, Reiko Dan
8.1
100%
N/A
More Information
Red Beard
(1965)
Drama
Aspiring to an easy job as personal physician to a wealthy family, Noboru Yasumoto is disappointed when his first post after medical school takes him to a small country clinic under the gruff doctor Red Beard. Yasumoto rebels in numerous ways, but Red Beard proves a wise and patient teacher. He gradually introduces his student to the u...
Runtime:
185 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Toshirō Mifune, Yûzô Kayama, Takashi Shimura, Kyōko Kagawa
8.4
73%
N/A
More Information
Stray Dog
(1949)
Crime, Drama, Thriller
A bad day gets worse for young detective Murakami when a pickpocket steals his gun on a hot, crowded bus. Desperate to right the wrong, he goes undercover, scavenging Tokyo’s sweltering streets for the stray dog whose desperation has led him to a life of crime. With each step, cop and criminal’s lives become more intertwined and the in...
Runtime:
122 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Awaji, Eiko Miyoshi, Noriko Sengoku
7.9
95%
N/A
More Information
The Sword of Doom
(1966)
Action, Drama
Ryunosuke, a gifted swordsman plying his trade during the turbulent final days of Shogunate rule, has no moral code and kills without remorse. It’s a way of life that leads to madness.
Runtime:
122 min
Director:
Kihachi Okamoto
Cast:
Tatsuya Nakadai, Yûzô Kayama, Michiyo Aratama, Yōko Naitō, Toshirō Mifune
8.0
80%
N/A
More Information
Midway
(1976)
Action, Drama, History, War
This war drama depicts the U.S. and Japanese forces in the naval Battle of Midway, which became a turning point for Americans during World War II.
Runtime:
132 min
Director:
Jack Smight
Cast:
Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, James Coburn, Glenn Ford, Hal Holbrook
6.8
47%
48
More Information
Drunken Angel
(1948)
Drama
Doctor Sanada treats gangster Matsunaga after he is wounded in a gunfight, and discovers that he is suffering from tuberculosis. Sanada tries to convince Matsunaga to stay for treatment, which would drastically change his lifestyle. They form an uneasy friendship until Matsunaga's old boss Okada returns from prison.
Runtime:
98 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Michiyo Kogure, Reizaburô Yamamoto, Toshirō Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Chieko Nakakita
7.7
93%
N/A
More Information
Samurai Rebellion
(1967)
Action, Drama
Toshiro Mifune stars as Isaburo Sasahara, an aging swordsman living a quiet life until his clan lord orders that his son marry the lord's mistress, who has recently displeased the ruler. Reluctantly, father and son take in the woman, and, to the family’s surprise, the young couple fall in love. But the lord soon reverses his decision a...
Runtime:
121 min
Director:
Masaki Kobayashi
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Yôko Tsukasa, Takeshi Katô, Tatsuyoshi Ehara, Etsuko Ichihara
8.4
100%
N/A
More Information
The Bad Sleep Well
(1960)
Crime, Drama, Thriller
In this loose adaptation of "Hamlet," illegitimate son Kôichi Nishi climbs to a high position within a Japanese corporation and marries the crippled daughter of company vice president Iwabuchi. At the reception, the wedding cake is a replica of their corporate headquarters, but an aspect of the design reminds the party of the hushed-up...
Runtime:
150 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Masayuki Mori, Kyôko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi, Takashi Shimura
8.1
100%
N/A
More Information
1941
(1979)
Action, Comedy, War
In the days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, panic grips California, where a military officer leads a mob chasing a Japanese sub.
Runtime:
118 min
Director:
Steven Spielberg
Cast:
Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, John Belushi, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton
5.8
42%
34
More Information
Grand Prix
(1966)
Action, Drama
The story tells about the confrontation of four first-class racers of Formula 1. Each of the competitors had their own additional motivation to become a champion. Their world is a risk and extreme, fast driving on the highway. The taste of adrenaline is what race lovers live. Outside of competition, they all experience personal drama...
Runtime:
176 min
Director:
John Frankenheimer
Cast:
James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Brian Bedford, Yves Montand, Jessica Walter
7.2
100%
72
More Information
Red Sun
(1971)
Western
In 1870, Japanese ambassador Sakaguchi and his entourage travel by train to Washington to deliver a valuable sword to the President of the United States, a gift from the Emperor of Japan. On board the same train are two robbers, Link and Gauche, ready to make their move…
Runtime:
114 min
Director:
Terence Young
Cast:
Charles Bronson, Charles Bronson, Ursula Andress, Toshirō Mifune, Toshirō Mifune
6.9
40%
N/A
More Information
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto
(1954)
Action, Adventure, Drama
Struggling to elevate himself from his low caste in 17th century Japan, Miyamoto trains to become a mighty samurai warrior.
Runtime:
93 min
7.6
N/A
N/A
More Information
Hell in the Pacific
(1968)
Drama, War
During World War II, a shot-down American pilot and a marooned Japanese navy captain find themselves stranded on the same small uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. Following war logic, each time the crafty Japanese devises something useful, he guards it to deny its use to the Yank, who then steals it, its proceeds or the idea and/...
Runtime:
103 min
7.4
N/A
N/A
More Information
The Life of Oharu
(1952)
Drama
Follows a woman's fight and survival amid the vicissitudes of life and the cruelty of the society.
Runtime:
136 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Kinuyo Tanaka, Tsukie Matsuura, Ichirô Sugai, Toshirō Mifune, Toshiaki Konoe
8.2
100%
N/A
More Information
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island
(1956)
Action, Adventure, Drama, History, Romance
A humble and simple Takezo abandons his life as a knight errant. He's sought as a teacher and vassal by Shogun, Japan's most powerful clan leader. He's also challenged to fight by the supremely confident and skillful Sasaki Kojiro. Takezo agrees to fight Kojiro in a year's time but rejects Shogun's patronage, choosing instead to live o...
Runtime:
105 min
Director:
Hiroshi Inagaki
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Koji Tsuruta, Kaoru Yachigusa, Mariko Okada, Michiko Saga
7.8
N/A
N/A
More Information
The Idiot
(1951)
Drama, Romance
Kameda, who has been in an asylum on Okinawa, travels to Hokkaido. There he becomes involved with two women, Taeko and Ayako. Taeko comes to love Kameda, but is loved in turn by Akama. When Akama realizes that he will never have Taeko, his thoughts turn to murder, and great tragedy ensues.
Runtime:
166 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Setsuko Hara, Masayuki Mori, Toshirō Mifune, Yoshiko Kuga, Takashi Shimura
7.2
70%
N/A
More Information
I Live in Fear
(1955)
Drama
Kiichi Nakajima, an elderly foundry owner convinced that Japan will be affected by an imminent nuclear war, resolves to move his family to safety in Brazil. His family decides to have him ruled incompetent and Dr. Harada, a Domestic Court counselor, attempts to arbitrate.
Runtime:
103 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki, Eiko Miyoshi, Masao Shimizu
7.3
75%
N/A
More Information
The Lower Depths
(1957)
Drama
Residents of a rundown boardinghouse in 19th-century Japan, including a mysterious old man and an aging actor, get drawn into a love triangle that turns violent. When amoral thief Sutekichi breaks off his affair with landlady Osugi to romance her younger sister, Okayo, Osugi extracts her revenge by revealing her infidelity to her jealo...
Runtime:
125 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Kyôko Kagawa, Ganjiro Nakamura, Minoru Chiaki
7.5
80%
N/A
More Information
Scandal
(1950)
Drama
A celebrity photograph sparks a court case as a tabloid magazine spins a scandalous yarn over a painter and a famous singer.
Runtime:
104 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Shirley Yamaguchi, Yôko Katsuragi, Noriko Sengoku
7.4
86%
N/A
More Information
The Quiet Duel
(1949)
Drama
Toshirō Mifune plays a young idealistic doctor who works at his father's (Takashi Shimura) clinic in a small and seedy district. During the war, he contracts syphilis from the blood of a patient when he cuts himself during an operation. Treating himself in secret and tormented by his conscience, he rejects his heartbroken fiancée witho...
Runtime:
95 min
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Miki Sanjo, Kenjiro Uemura
7.5
N/A
N/A
More Information
47 Ronin
(1962)
Action, Drama, History
The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless (becoming ronin) after their daimyo (feudal lord) was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was Kōzuke no suke. The ronin avenged their master's honor after patiently waiting and planning for over a year ...
Runtime:
207 min
Director:
Hiroshi Inagaki
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Tatsuya Mihashi, Hakuô Matsumoto, Yûzô Kayama
7.8
N/A
N/A
More Information
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo
(1970)
Action, Adventure, Drama
With a price on his head, Ichi seeks tranquillity in a favorite village. Since his last visit, it has fallen prey to Boss Masagoro, the son of a merchant rumored to have stolen gold from the shogunate. The boss has hired Yojimbo as his hard-drinking enforcer, but Yojimbo is both a spy for the shogunate, trying to find the gold, and in ...
Runtime:
115 min
Director:
Kihachi Okamoto
Cast:
Shintarô Katsu, Toshirō Mifune, Ayako Wakao, Osamu Takizawa, Masakane Yonekura
7.1
N/A
N/A
More Information
Samurai Assassin
(1965)
Action, Drama, History
Japan, 1860. The men of the Mito clan, victims of the Ansei purge, anxiously prowl around the Sakurada Gate of Edo Castle with the intention of assassinating Naosuke Ii of Hikone, tairō of the Tokugawa shogunate and responsible for their misfortune.
Runtime:
122 min
7.6
N/A
N/A
More Information
The Challenge
(1982)
Action, Drama
Rick, a down-and-out American boxer, is hired to transport a sword to Japan, unaware that the whole thing is a set up in a bitter blood-feud between two brothers, one who follows the traditional path of the samurai and the other a businessman. At the behest of the businessman, Rick undertakes samurai training from the other brother, bu...
Runtime:
109 min
Director:
John Frankenheimer
Cast:
Scott Glenn, Toshirō Mifune
6.4
60%
N/A
More Information
Winter Kills
(1979)
Drama, Mystery, Thriller
19 years after President Timothy Keegan was assassinated, his brother Nick discovers a dying man claiming to have been the gunman. While trying to avoid his wealthy and domineering father's attempts to control his actions, Nick follows the clues that have been handed to him. As he progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to discer...
Runtime:
97 min
Director:
William Richert
Cast:
Jeff Bridges, John Huston, Anthony Perkins, Eli Wallach, Sterling Hayden
6.3
86%
N/A
More Information
Machibuse
(1970)
Action, Drama
In the Edo period, a nameless ronin accepts an assignment to go to a mountain pass and wait. Near the pass he stops at an inn where a collection of characters gather, including a gang set on stealing shogunate gold that's soon to come over the pass. When the Ronin's assignment becomes clear, to help the gang, he's ordered to kill the i...
Runtime:
117 min
Director:
Hiroshi Inagaki
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Yûjirô Ishihara, Ruriko Asaoka, Shintarō Katsu, Kinnosuke Nakamura
7.1
N/A
N/A
More Information
The Rickshaw Man
(1958)
Drama
The story of Muhōmatsu, a rickshaw man who becomes a surrogate father to the child of a recently widowed woman.
Runtime:
103 min
Director:
Hiroshi Inagaki
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Hiroshi Akutagawa, Chishû Ryû, Chôko Iida, Hideko Takamine
7.7
N/A
N/A
More Information
Japan's Longest Day
(1967)
Drama, History, War
Following the detonation of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese military and the government clash over the demand from the Allies for unconditional surrender. Minister of the Army Anami leads the military officers who propose to fight on, even to the death of every Japanese citizen. Emperor Hirohito, however, joins...
Runtime:
157 min
Director:
Kihachi Okamoto
Cast:
Seiji Miyaguchi, Rokko Toura, Yoshio Kosugi, Takashi Shimura, Etsushi Takahashi
7.8
N/A
N/A
More Information
Samurai Banners
(1969)
Action, History, War
Kansuke Yamamoto is a samurai who dreams of a country united, peaceful from sea to sea. He enters the service of Takeda, the lord of Kai domain. He convinces Takeda to kill the lord of neighboring Suwa and take his wife as a concubine. He then convinces the widow, Princess Yu, to accept this arrangement and to bear Takeda a son. He ple...
Runtime:
165 min
Director:
Hiroshi Inagaki
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Yoshiko Sakuma, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Yûjirô Ishihara
7.2
N/A
N/A
More Information
Red Lion
(1969)
Action, Comedy
Impersonating an Imperial Army officer by wearing a "red lion's mane", a poor servant returns to his village after 10 years of absence to end the village's suffering caused by corrupt officials.
Runtime:
115 min
Director:
Kihachi Okamoto
Cast:
Toshirō Mifune, Shima Iwashita, Etsushi Takahashi, Etsushi Takahashi, Nobuko Otowa
7.1
N/A
N/A
More Information
Shadow of the Wolf
(1992)
Adventure
In the 1930's, Agaguk lives his traditional Inuit life. But one day, there is a murder in the tribe and Agaguk becomes a suspect. Soon he becomes persecuted by Henderson, a mean mountie, and he must flee through the cold winter of Northen Quebec.
Runtime:
112 min
Director:
Jacques Dorfmann
Cast:
Lou Diamond Phillips, Toshirō Mifune, Jennifer Tilly, Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Donald Sutherland
5.8
N/A
N/A
More Information
The Important Man
(1962)
Drama
Animas Trujano is a colorful but irresponsible Indian in a small Mexican village. He hopes above all things someday to be chosen mayordomio of his village, a place of great honor usually conferred upon the wealthiest and most respected citizens. Animas has a loyal wife, but cheats on her and gambles away every cent they raise. Chances ...
Runtime:
100 min
7.8
N/A
N/A
More Information
Death of a Tea Master
(1989)
Drama, History
Years after the death of legendary tea master Rikyu, his disciple Honkakubo attempts to resolve the mystery of the master's death.
Runtime:
107 min
Director:
Kei Kumai
Cast:
Eiji Okuda, Toshirō Mifune, Gō Katō, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Shinsuke Ashida
7.0
N/A
N/A
More Information
The Fall of Ako Castle
(1978)
Action, Drama
This is the story of "The Forty-Seven Ronin." Based on historical events in 1701-2, the movie tells the tale of the Asano clan's downfall and the revenge of its former samurai on the perpetrator of the catastrophe. Lord Asano was goaded, or tricked, into drawing his sword inside the Shogun's palace -- a crime which carried the death pe...
Runtime:
159 min
Director:
Kinji Fukasaku
Cast:
Sonny Chiba, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Masaomi Kondo, Toshirō Mifune, Tsunehiko Watase
7.1
N/A
N/A