Film/Video

Mifune + Okamoto

From left to right: black-and-white still of a person in a patterned kimono who is trying to flee from four soldiers with weapons; still of a person wearing a red lion’s mane; black-and-white still of a person with short, dark hair, pulling their eyebrows together in confusion; black-and-white still of a gunfight where two people are on the ground with guns pointed in front of them and two unconscious people are on the floor; still of a person with dark hair, pink lipstick, and a blue-lined kimono.
A five-film series celebrating legendary actor Toshirō Mifune’s collaborations with director Kihachi Okamoto.
May 05, 2022 – May 26, 2022

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“I am a person rarely impressed by actors…but in the case of Mifune I was completely overwhelmed.”—Akira Kurosawa

Celebrate Toshirō Mifune—the star of such Akira Kurosawa epics as Rashōmon and Seven Samurai—in this series spotlighting the iconic actor’s lesser-known collaborations with director Kihachi Okamoto.

Though best-remembered for his 16-film partnership with the great Kurosawa, Mifune also worked with other influential filmmakers during his long career. This month, we spotlight five films directed by Okamoto, a prolific Toho studio vet. A versatile filmmaker who made comedies and favored musicals, Okamoto is most associated with action movies rife with gangsters, sword-wielding samurai, and modern warfare—all featured in this series. (Our longtime film fans might recall seeing his late-60s films The Sword of Doom and The Human Bullet at the Wex.) Don’t miss this opportunity to see Mifune shine in this sampling of films by a major director from the Golden Age of Japanese cinema.

All films screen in rare 35mm prints courtesy of The Japan Foundation.

Still of a person with dark hair, pink lipstick, and a blue-lined kimono looking concernedly at a person with a shaved head and mustache whose head is pointed down and eyes are closed.
35MM Print
past Film/Video

Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (Zatōichi to yōjinbō, Kihachi Okamoto, 1970)  

Thu, May 5, 2022
Black-and-white still of three people looking intently at something; the person on the left has short, slicked-back dark hair and is wearing a suit, tie, and trench coat; the person in the middle has dark, short, voluminous hair and is wearing gloves and a light-colored jacket; the person on the right has short, dark hair and is wearing a black leather jacket.
35MM Print
past Film/Video

The Last Gunfight (Ankokugai no taiketsu, Kihachi Okamoto, 1960)

Tue, May 10, 2022
Black-and-white still of a fight scene; the person in the middle is lunging with their sword toward the person in front of them; the third person in the back is facing the other direction, their sword and head pointed toward the ground.
35MM Print
past Film/Video

Samurai Assassin (Samurai, Kihachi Okamoto, 1965)

Thu, May 12, 2022
Still of a group of people of ranging ages carrying staffs as weapons; they are led by the person in front of them wearing a red lion’s main and patterned headband, holding a sword.
35MM Print
past Film/Video

Red Lion (Akage, Kihachi Okamoto, 1969)

Thu, May 19, 2022
Black-and-white still of a person in a patterned kimono who is trying to flee from four soldiers with weapons.
35MM Print
past Film/Video

Japan's Longest Day (Nihon no ichiban nagai hi, Kihachi Okamoto, 1967)

Thu, May 26, 2022

Prints courtesy of The Japan Foundation.

FILM/VIDEO PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Cardinal Health
Kaufman Development

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Rohauer Collection Foundation