This film review was transcribed with the consent of glasscandy . The original text is in [Translation Study] Tatsuya Nakadai talks about the golden age of Japanese cinema No. 25
"Death Sword" and Mifune Studio
After "Strange Talk", Nakadai starred in Kobayashi's "Death Sword" (67). The script for the film and the script for "Severe Abdominal" were written by Shinobu Hashimoto. "Death Sword" is a costume film depicting the inhumanity of the martial society. Nakadai starred as the friend of the protagonist Mifune, and at the end continued the style of the Kurosawa movie and launched a fierce duel.
I acted in "The Sword of Death" at Kobayashi's request. In the film, I was friends with Mifune, but in the end I had to fight him. From the character's personal standpoint, although they have friendship, they must fight for the feudal kingdom, which makes it impossible to fight.
"Movie Xunbao" also ranked this film as the first best film. I think Kobayashi was at his peak during this period.
The production of "Death Sword" is the Mifune Film Production Company, which is owned by Toshiro Mifune himself. In the mid-1960s, the film industry was in trouble due to the reduction in the number of moviegoers. The contract actors of various film companies demanded to break the blockade, and independent production units were established one after another: Ishihara Yujiro of Nikkei established Ishihara Production Company; Production company; Toei's Nakamura Kinosuke established Nakamura Productions, and Toho's Mifune established Mifune Productions.
As an actor, Mifune has been a respectable senior until now. But when he set up the Mifune Production Company, Kurosawa, his good partner in filmmaking, told him something like "You better not be the president". It was an era when movie stars were just movie stars, and I thought it was very interesting that independent production companies made movies on their own against the giants of the movie industry.
I also made a cameo appearance in another Mifune production company, "The Legacy of Half a Thousand People," which was directed by Mifune. That movie made me feel like I was surrounded by Kurosawa crew, as if the director wasn't Mifune. I heard that even the editing was done by Kurosawa himself. I didn't get the impression that Mifune was "Director Mifune".
The director's job is too hard. Actors want to be directors, and if they are surrounded by good photographers, good lighting engineers, good sound engineers, good assistant directors, and good scripts, they can make good movies. There have been many times when people have asked if I want to be a director myself, but I have never taken this step.
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