(Vientiane History Special Author: Tao Sheng)
【December 24, 1997】Toshiro Mifune's biography: A Japanese film emperor born and raised in China, a man with good looks and strength
When it comes to Japanese films, many people will think of director Akira Kurosawa, who brought Japanese films to the world. In his works, there is an actor who often plays samurai and ronin, which adds a lot to the film. He is a Japanese film emperor born and raised in China, a man who can obviously rely on his appearance, but he is partial to strength - Toshiro Mifune.
On April 1, 1920, on April Fool's Day in the West, Toshiro Mifune was born in Qingdao, China. Since 1914, when World War I began, after Japan declared war on Germany, it sent troops to occupy Qingdao. Toshiro Mifune's parents were both Japanese and were Methodist missionaries working in Qingdao.
At the age of 4, he moved with his parents to Dalian, where he finished high school. After graduation, he helped his father run a photo studio. Soon after, he joined the Japanese Army Aviation Division in Manchukuo and served in the aerial photography department.
(Some people say that this is Wang Jingwei in his youth, wrong also, it is Toshiro Mifune)
In 1946, after Japan's defeat, Toshiro Mifune was repatriated to Japan as an expatriate. So, 26-year-old Toshiro Mifune set foot on Japanese soil for the first time.
Introduced by a friend, he entered the famous Toho Film Company as an assistant cinematographer. In 1947, he made a cameo appearance as a substitute actor and participated in "Top of silver ridge", which received a good response.
The following year, the company arranged for him to co-star with Joe Shimura in "Muddy Angel", and was one of the male protagonists. Joe Shimura was already a household actor in Japan at the time, and the handsome and handsome Toshiro Mifune was still unknown, and many people suspected that he was just a "vase".
Who knows that after the release of the film, the box office is quite good, and it has won several awards in China. Toshiro Mifune's performance was also widely acclaimed, and the director couldn't help but say: "If Joe Shimura's performance can score 90 points, then Mifune's performance is 120 points!" "This praiseworthy director is the future golden partner - Akira Kurosawa.
Since then, he has begun to work closely with Akira Kurosawa.
In 1950 (at the age of 30), Akira Kurosawa filmed the masterpiece Rashomon. The film won the Golden Lion at the 1951 Venice Film Festival and won the 23rd Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Toshiro Mifune also entered the ranks of world superstars with the role of samurai Tadashimaru.
(Toshiro Mifune in Rashomon)
In 1954 (at the age of 34), he starred in "Seven Samurai" released. He plays the fake samurai Kikuchiyo, portraying a ronin samurai with a downturned appearance but a unique skill, almost perfectly. "Seven Samurai" was a great success and frequently won awards. It is considered the highest masterpiece of Japanese cinema and, to this day, is still very popular. Toshiro Mifune also won the British Academy Film Award for Best Actor for this film, which established his position in the film industry.
(Toshiro Mifune in The Seven Samurai)
After that, he starred in Miyamoto Musashi (1954), Spider's Nest Castle (1957), Sengoku Heroes (1958), Tsubaki Sanjuro (1962), etc., each of which was very popular.
In 1961, he starred in "Stick with Heart", which won the Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival. The Venice Film Festival is associated with the Cannes and Berlin Film Festivals, and is known as the world's three major film festivals. He was the first Japanese to win the award, and he was a true film emperor.
(Toshiro Mifune in "Heart Stick")
Since then, Toshiro Mifune, who has been playing the role of ronin samurai, began to try to transform. In 1963, he played a director of the shoe company in Heaven and Hell. In the same year, he also served as a director and producer for the first time, directing and acting in "The Legacy of Half a Million People". But his attempts were unsuccessful.
In 1965, he collaborated again with Akira Kurosawa to play Doctor Redbeard in RedBeard. He once again won the Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival and became a film emperor. The cooperation between the two has reached its peak again, and everyone says "the kurosawa of the world, the three ships of the world".
However, the two suddenly parted ways. The reason for the breakup is still difficult to explain. But both of their film careers have been greatly impacted as a result. Kurosawa was devastated, and it was not until 1980 that he created masterpieces such as Shadow Samurai and Chaos.
Toshiro Mifune, on the other hand, never returned to his peak.
(Toshiro Mifune's divorce news)
Since then, Toshiro Mifune has been very diligent, and has performed in nearly 30 films, such as "The Longest Day in Japan" (1967), "Commander of the Combined Fleet, Yamamoto Fifty-Six" (1968), "Humpback City and the Stick of Hearts" (1970), "Battle of Midway" (1976), "Two Hundred and Three Highlands" (1980), "Taketori Monogatari" (1987) and so on.
Although there are also some good works, it has never been able to surpass the glorious past. In 1995, the 75-year-old Toshiro Mifune, an old and strong film emperor, performed his last film "Deep River".
On December 24, 1997, Toshiro Mifune died at the age of 77.
(The 197th work of the Vientiane History and Biography Writing Camp, and the 3rd work of camper "Tao Sheng")