SANSHIRO’S BOYS - AKIRA KUROSAWA RETROSPECTIVE: EPISODE 25

Sanshiro’s Boys close out the 16-film partnership between Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune with 1965’s Red Beard. This emotional epic transports us to the 19th century with extreme period accuracy and functions as a true manifesto for the director’s humanism. Chris has been meaning to watch this movie since the 7th grade. Did it live up to his expectations? 

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One of the many subgenres that owes a debt to Akira Kurosawa is the “police procedural.” To that end, 1963’s High and Low is his masterclass in suspense, detective work, class commentary, and ethical dilemmas. In one of his final Kurosawa roles, Toshiro Mifune plays Kingo Gondo, a wealthy industrialist extorted by a mysterious kidnapper who has captured his son and held him for Japan’s highest ransom. Only… the boy was actually his chauffeur’s son. Will Gondo still pay the outrageous ransom for someone else’s child? Can the cops catch a man who has conceived a seemingly perfect crime? Listen to Sanshiro’s Boys and investigate with us!

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Following the enormous success of Yojimbo, Akira Kurosawa created his second and only sequel: Sanjuro. This satire of the average chambara film sees Toshiro Mifune reprising the titular role, once again opposite Tatsuya Nakadai in a completely different role. Sanjuro is another fun Kurosawa adventure and may be his most overt comedy, but how does it stack up to its predecessor? Tune in to Sanshiro’s Boys, or rather this week, Sanjuro’s Boys, and find out!

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Sanshiro’s Boys are kicking off 2021 by discussing one of Akira Kurosawa’s most popular and often-imitated films: Yojimbo. Toshiro Mifune shows off his unmatched sword fighting skills as a wandering ronin caught between two rival gangs. We also get our first of many appearances of iconic Japanese actor Tatsuya Nakadai, as well as the return of Rashomon cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa. This is truly what peak performance looks like.

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With the official formation of his own production company, Akira Kurosawa makes a big return to contemporary times with The Bad Sleep Well. This neo-noir presents us with a scathing and still-topical critique of corporate corruption wrapped in a loose adaptation of Hamlet. It's not quite the show we wanted to release on Christmas morning, but alas here we are. 

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We’re not reviewing Star Wars (yet), but we are here today to talk about its major inspiration: The Hidden Fortress from 1958. Akira Kurosawa outdoes himself yet again with bigger production value, new fighting styles, great comedy, and a surprise cameo that had us losing their minds. Join Sanshiro’s Boys as we take our first steps into a larger world, and a wider frame!

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Akira Kurosawa made a more successful return to Russian literature with The Lower Depths. Released the same year as Throne of Blood, yet quite the opposite in scale, this adaptation of Maxim Gorky’s early 1900s play features a strong ensemble of Kurosawa regulars for an atmospheric examination of poverty in Edo Period Japan. The Lower Depths is more loosely plotted than his other films, so this was certainly a difficult one to talk about, but Sanshiro’s Boys are going to try! 

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Sanshiro’s Boys return for Tim’s very first Akira Kurosawa movie: Throne Of Blood from 1957. This extraordinary adaptation of Macbeth transposes Shakespeare to feudal Japan through heavy fog and forests. Toshiro Mifune owns the screen as he descends into madness, as does Isuzu Yamada playing the rare Kurosawa villainess - Lady Asaji. The first of many large scale looks at the ancient armies of Japan’s past, this fusion of East and West is one not to be missed!

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I Live In Fear, also known as Record Of A Living Being, isn’t talked about a whole lot, despite being Akira Kurosawa’s follow-up to Seven Samurai. Quite the departure from hours of intense action, this 1955 film follows an old man trying to get his family to move to Brazil in order to avoid another atomic bomb striking Japan. As you might expect, Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura are both in this one, but you may be surprised which of them is playing the old man… Sanshiro’s Boys are halfway done with their show and here today to discuss the sad backstory behind this film, say goodbye to Kurosawa’s close friend and composer Fumio Hayasaka, and try to figure out if this little-known film is worth rediscovering. 

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Seven Samurai is Akira Kurosawa’s magnum opus. It’s a simple story about a poor farming village that hires seven samurai to protect them from an impending bandit raid, but there’s far more to it than that. Seven Samurai provides excellent character studies, thrilling action, hilarious comedy, and heart-wrenching tragedy. Kurosawa’s longest film is widely considered to be not only his best, but one of the greatest of all time. Will Sanshiro’s Boys agree that this is what peak performance looks like? 

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