Alternate Best Actor 1967: Results

 5. Sergei Bondarchuk in War and Peace Part IV - I elected not to review Bondarchuk for his self-directed performance. While a good performance in terms of his reactions to the various horrors of war and the eventual respite in the end, as a director he chooses not to focus on his performance as much as you'd think, particularly when the subtitle of the film is his character's name. Pierre's story while not lost in the shuffle wholly, is not focused upon performance wise heavily, instead choosing more visual choices to convey certain moments including the final romantic overture where we get a brief reaction by Bondarchuk, which while good, is quickly moved on from. He gives a good performance but it does feel like less of an impactful one thanks his choices as a director than say what he gave himself as an actor in the first part of the film series especially. 

Best Scene: Arriving Home. 

4. Ljubiša Samardžić in The Morning - Within very much a director's film as well, giving a interesting charismatic performance that unfortunately is very much limited by the confines of the writing. 

Best Scene: Fantasy

3. Michel Simon in The Two of Us - Simon gives a striking and extremely naturalistic portrayal of seemingly warm loving old man, who also holds some casual cruel prejudices. 

Best Scene: Ending.

2. Scott Wilson in In Cold Blood - Wilson gives a brilliant counter performance to Blake, bringing to life as tangibly a career criminal who may be less personally violent but is just as deadly. 

Best Scene: Conning the store. 

1. Toshiro Mifune in Samurai Rebellion - Good predictions Razor and Shaggy. Mifune delivers one of his best performances giving such a moving portrayal of the love of a father that also realizes intense rage when that love is endangered. 

Best Scene: The violence begins. 

Updated Overall

Next: 1967 Supporting (Probably not a lineup)

Alternate Best Actor 1967: Toshiro Mifune in Samurai Rebellion

Toshiro Mifune did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Isaburo Sasahara in Samurai Rebellion. 

Samurai Rebellion tells the story of a highly skilled but unambitious samurai who runs afoul his clan after his son is asked to take the former concubine of their lord. 

Samurai Rebellion suffers slightly in comparison to the great Masaki Kobayashi’s previous films about a man against a system of injustice, particularly Harakiri which it closely resembles in the overall plot and the idea of a family being torn about by cruel lords. It isn’t as great as that film, but Harakiri is one of the greatest films ever so being less than that isn’t bad. As it is still well worth watching, even if it isn’t as tight or quite as powerful as that film, in large part we get a very special collaboration by having the great Mifune as Kobayashi’s lead this time around and proof that neither his career, nor his talent ended after this legendary collaboration with Kurosawa. And Kobayashi thankfully challenges Mifune in a different role, despite being yet another samurai, this is a different samurai for Mifune. As this character is neither the great rebel samurai of Yojimbo nor is he a chaotic fake samurai from Seven Samurai, nor the great general from Hidden Fortress, Isaburo Sasahara is kind of just a guy even though he’s in this system. There’s a different vibe Mifune brings here that is just wonderful and shows once again great acting isn’t always playing extremely different parts rather it is finding the differences in similar parts and expressing those differences to make new characters that leave lasting impressions. 

Mifune does so here by in no way making Sasahara any sort of larger than life guy in fact accentuating more so the fact that there isn’t anything too notable about him despite his alluded to skills at fighting something we get the sense of as he has casual conversations with his also extremely skilled friend and fellow vassal Tatewaki Asano (Tatsuya Nakadai). Nakadai and Mifune have great chemistry here that is unique to this film given, while there will be a duel between them, this is the only film I’ve seen between them where the pair get to be friends. With Mifune and Nakadai having just work buddy chemistry. It is very easy going with Mifune’s delivery of taking his life as casually as he does, even if in a defeated way at times given he is brow beaten by his wife, isn’t of someone bemoaning his whole existence rather it is just a guy who has accepted his plight having the bit of fun he does get in getting to to express that belief with his friend. The two have a great ease where the sense of respect between the men is just a given and the way Asano describes Sasahara, you see the younger man see the older man for more than what the older man even believes. As whenever Asano builds him up too much, Mifune plays in his eyes almost an embarrassment at the idea that he could be anything truly great and not just a husband and a dad. 

Speaking of those two elements we get two very distinct sides from Mifune, and again sides that are unique to this performance from the great actor. The first is that of the husband where the moments we do get of him with his domineering wife, Mifune is remarkable in the years of just accepting whatever his wife says as his eyes have a resignation and his voice has an innate sigh of a man who seems to be constantly saying to himself “it’s just not worth fighting with her”. We also get the latter part as the dad where Mifune certainly played paternalistic father figures in previous films, notably Red Beard as one of his most mature characters, but this is very different as emphasis on the dad dad so to speak. As Mifune is wonderful at being a bit of a fuddyduddy for the lack of a better term. He’s not cool or hip around his son, rather you just get this simple bright smile of appreciation towards his son and just as someone who loves him simple as that. Mifune’s portrayal of not complicating this in any way is so distinct because complication is usually the name of the game, and even in Red Beard Mifune gave his wisdom out in sometimes cold blunt ways. But here Mifune just accentuates a sincere open warmth where every interaction with his son is just as a loving guy who wants nothing more than the best for his son. Mifune makes this pure in every bit we get and consistently expresses leaving a strong impression that is key to the progression of the plot. 

The plot appears as Sasahara’s son is asked to take on the single mother concubine of the lord as his wife, something they reject based on rumors of her manner but something that changes when they find that she is a lovely loving woman. I’ll be honest while the relationship isn’t bad in any way I would say it is more of just fine and the film could’ve had something just a bit more potent in showing these two as the perfect couple sort of thing, instead they do what they need to, the actors I think just don’t have that burning chemistry though I think both are more than decent in their roles. Mifune picks up the slack for that however in his reactions to the love he sees between his son and his wife, as his smiles become so much brighter and his speech about the new wife, Mifune gives a glowing delivery of every word where he shows not how much Sasahara is getting out of the new women in a direct way but rather how much he’s getting out of her by seeing how much joy it brings to his son. When he encourages his son about the relationship, Mifune’s speech is tremendous because it contains love, but also the sense of years of burdened somehow relieved as Mifune’s eyes are that of a man who couldn’t have true love himself however that wound is softened by seeing his son find it in the end. 

Sadly the plot becomes more complicated when the wife is recalled by the lord at a cruel moment, something the family eventually rejects as a cruelty, particularly after the couple had conceived a child. And when we see the son take the stand Mifune’s laying of the groundwork of the man defined by this love for his son pays off, when we see his son’s happiness threatened Mifune’s work shows this love fueling his conviction to do whatever it takes to defend his son. Mifune’s calm in these scenes shows essentially the great man who always could’ve been in the way we see a man standing firm by his strongest belief that being the belief in supporting his son. Even surprising his son in his steadfast approach Mifune is great in suddenly his presence being the full Mifune of the man who is larger than life, but still different as we see that put upon dad now finding his strength as in every moment of this there is this glint in the eye of Mifune of a man who is doing it all for tender care. Eventually it all falls apart when the Lord refuses to relent leading to both the tragic death of Sasahara’s son and his daughter in law. Then we get Mifune unleashed in one of his all time great just full Mifune intensity here representing not just rage but also such rabid grief as Sasahara kills a substantial number of men from the Lord. Mifune uses all of his physical power and every bit of what his eyes can do like few actors to show the tremendous pain of a father fueled into every moment of the one sided massacre. That moment is followed by such a poignant moment of performance by Mifune as he shifts to such a gentle heartbreaking calm as he buries his family, where Mifune’s quiet in contrast to the earlier explosion is so powerful in showing the same love now just in his promise to try to spread the word of the injustice by escaping the lord’s realm. Leading Sasahara to have to duel Asano as the latter must fulfill his duty as the guard of the border, where Mifune finds such a remarkable quality as he prepares to fight his friend. There is just this quiet calm conviction as he notes what he will do no matter what, you see a man with his eyes set on only doing the justice and promise to his family. It isn’t the eyes of a killer but the eyes of a father that Mifune expresses in this quest. Throughout the incredible duel Mifune’s performance is captivating in the consistency of that conviction until he fatally wounds his best friend. When Asano stops, I love the shift of Mifune as we see that conviction vanish, not because he no longer cares, but now sees his friend as no longer an enemy but just his dying friend. Mifune is so moving by making this shift feel natural as Sasahara still loved his friend even though he had to kill him for his quest. Something we see continue in a final attempt to escape where Mifune again brings such intensity to every moment of the final fight, being this fierce powerful onslaught of that emotional power of a man putting every ounce into himself to try to find justice for his family. Mifune is incredible as he conveys that even as he is physically falling apart from wounds, the eyes never waver as the man is looking to that conviction still. Mifune delivers yet another tremendous performance here, finding a new way to the rebel samurai, this time not as a man who rebels through chaos, but rather just a reflection of love for a father. 

Alternate Best Actor 1967

 And the Nominees Were Not:

Michel Simon in The Two of Us

Ljubiša Samardžić in The Morning

Sergei Bondarchuk in War and Peace Part IV

Toshiro Mifune in Samurai Rebellion

Scott Wilson in In Cold Blood

Alternate Best Actor 1958: Toshiro Mifune in The Rickshaw Man

Toshiro Mifune did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Matsugoro the titular character in The Rickshaw Man. 

I guess with Mifune my work is never done, which is fine by me since, as you might've gathered at this point, I'm a big fan. Mifune's performance here is a bit of an oddity, though not that his performance is odd in any way, but it feels wholly different from any other Mifune performance, while being entirely a performance by Mifune. To explain. Mifune is a performer who always physically just exudes some kind of command of some sort, even when unwieldy as in the case of Seven Samurai as the most haphazard warrior there's still such a power to him. Mifune here almost physically seems different from any of his other performances, because what Mifune portrays is kind of normalcy, which is kind of fascinating in itself. Take one of the earliest scenes for Mifune's titular Rickshaw Man faces down a man in a pseudo combat, only resulting in him getting cracked on the head. Mifune's performance doesn't suggest the other man is in any danger either in his badass manner as seen in Yojimbo or his unpredictable threat as seen in Seven Samurai. Rather Mifune doesn't present any kind of threat which weirdly is an accomplishment, and kind of magical. Magical because it speaks to the physicality of such a performer who knows how to turn it on and off. As Mifune here seems so much smaller, for the lack of a better word, and in turn crafts the rickshaw man, who is a rickshaw man. 

And from that point of entry, while Mifune subverts his usually larger than life presence, he is larger than life but in a different way. His life here is rather purely within the personality, rather than through any danger the character may have for others. It is impressive as Mifune manages to be both comedic and earnest in creating this alternative style of his presence that does feel so unique within his filmography. Mifune's expressions are with this innate joy of life, this isn't a guy who is constantly struggling, even though he's a poor rickshaw man. Rather his expression is of someone who is ready to face whatever's coming at him, however as a man who maybe doesn't always have the skills to face off he always has the willingness to do so. As much as Mifune is gotten the better off in the opening scene, there is this sort of resilience that Mifune suggests as the innate state of the man. There is a potent energy within Mifune's performance that just exudes a different kind of toughness that is usually for his characters, yet extremely endearing here. Because it isn't presented as the sort of conviction of the normal kind of man, rather this eccentric nature of someone who just always goes about things his way. There's a wryness that Mifune brings by presenting Matsugoro as someone who finds his way around and in things, his way and almost always with a big smile on his face. 

There's another moment early on where Matsugoro is our Mifune type hero but in a very/ different way for Mifune, where he takes on a snooty opera house by cooking smelly food inside it. Mifune's performance emphasizes this dogged manner but more so the joyful sort of exuberance of the man just going about things his way, in his eccentricity however still as a man who overall is low key, which is juxtaposition that maybe shouldn't work however it does. The overall narrative comes in when the Matsugoro comes across a young boy he helps out and leads to him  being introduced to the boy's wealthier mother (Hideko Takamine) and his ailing, soon to be dead, father, a respected military captain, who previously took a liking to Matsugoro for his blunt and eccentric ways. Mifune is marvelous because what he does immediately is purge even the slightest hint that Matsugoro's intentions are anything but the purest. There is no sense that he's trying to manipulate to improve his plight nor is he trying to con them in his way. Rather Mifune exudes warmth, so much warmth, so much warmth in a way that even Mifune's more loving characters usually doesn't have. And it is impressive because there is such a great deal of comforting manner he brings in his delivery, but you also see the why of his physical presence, that makes Matsugoro "smaller" however in turn seemingly so much more comforting as a stranger just coming in to help. 

And Mifune is just wonderful as we see Matsugoro become closer to the family, bringing this powerful sense of the man just wanting to do what's best for the boy, and acting like the purest of mentors and guardians. Take a scene of just as the boy becomes a singer, Mifune's reaction to the singing is everything. There is such pride, such love, such care to every moment in it. He shows a man who just loves getting to experience being part of the boy's life in the most honest way possible. Every interaction Mifune emphasizes is the spirit of goodness that is Matsugoro's true intentions at every point, and it is hard not to find Mifune endearing in every interaction. He has great chemistry with the boy, where he's not a surrogate father exactly, but rather kind of just this perfect sort of loving uncle. Mifune just charms in every instance and it is something special to see Mifune in these moments where there is no overt dramatic weight as we usually see Mifune in so often. Rather he's just a man loving this simple life and loving this simple relationship. Not that his performance is ever simple, you can take the moment where he reacts just to grief of the man's widow, and in just a quick instance you can see so much empathy in Mifune's eyes, that again reinforces Matsugoro as this masterful portrayal of a truly caring man. 

Where the film probably differs from the expectation, and something that improved for me when I re-watched, therefore already knew the trajectory, is it deals with what is the long haul of the relationship between the rickshaw man and the young boy, when class is an ever present part of society. And we see Mifune age here, and he does so beautifully in his performance, nothing over the top, just a slower manner to the man, and a bit more of this sense of quiet nostalgia. We also see the boy grow up and become a man of society, therefore also all too aware of the expectations of that society which do not consider the relationship between him and the "lowly" Rickshaw man as appropriate. We see Matsugoro still be friendly, and the ever present heart in Mifune's performance as he calls out to the boy, now a man, lovingly as "Sonny", a name now rejected and has his mom tell Matsugoro to stop calling him that. Mifune is heartbreaking in this scene because he has so successfully established the sincerity of Matsugoro that the idea of forcing him to call the boy by his full proper name, you see how much it shatters him. His reaction is devastating in the earnest straightforward quality of the man not only losing that relationship but being treated as though he never had one in the first place. The remainder of the film then is the sad end of the rickshaw man, after he has lost his "usefulness" to the rich family. And Mifune is heart wrenching in showing the slow dissolution of the man, because it is with the old spirit of the man in there still. But what Mifune expresses in his reaction is the contrition of society. When he comes back to the mother, perhaps planning on attempting some kind of romantic overture, Mifune portrays instead a man just filled with anxiety and unable to break the restrictions placed on him by society. Leaving him only as a lonely man being worn away, and his final walk to nothingness, Mifune portrays such a potent tragedy of the man truly being lost and now just an old man fading away to nothingness. This is another great performance by Mifune, which is able to be such a heartwarming portrayal of a loving man, but also the tragic tale of what happens when that love is taken for granted. 

Best Actor Backlog Volume 4 Results

5. Anthony Hopkins in A Doll's House - Hopkins gives an effectively dismissive portrayal of a man blithely miscuing his wife and privilege.

Best Scene: Torvald freaks out. 

4. Alan Bates in Butley - The whole film is just Bates acting up a storm, and act he does quite well. 

Best Scene: Butley enters his office. 

3. James Cagney in The Public Enemy - Cagney gives a compelling star making turn that presents this instinctual and broken qualities of a boy playing at gangster. 

Best Scene: Rain Storm. 

2. Ray Milland in Alias Nick Beal - Ray Milland gives an effortlessly captivating portrayal of a man who inflicts evil through slick seduction. 

Best Scene: Nick recruiting. 

1. Toshiro Mifune in The Bad Sleep Well - Good predictions Anonymous, Oliver and Razor Mifune gives a brilliant portrayal of an atypical protagonist, who holds so much of himself in and puts on many faces to hide his true self and intentions. 

Best Scene: His wife visits him. 

Next: The Waiting Game. 

Alternate Best Actor 1960: Toshiro Mifune in The Bad Sleep Well

Toshiro Mifune did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Kōichi Nishi in The Bad Sleep Well. 

The Bad Sleep Well is often said to be Kurosawa's Hamlet in the corporate world.

That description I don't think that is truly all accurate, and I'd never consider this an adaptation of Hamlet. This is not Ran which has some key changes but is mostly the story of Lear in terms of the overall progression of the story, The Bad Sleep Well is very much its own beast. The same is true for the film as it exists within the collaborative history of Toshiro Mifune and Akira Kurosawa. Unlike most of their collaborations, you might think Mifune's character is a supporting if even minor role during essentially the entire first act of the film. If you did not know who Mifune is when watching the film, you'd probably think nothing about the character of the groom in the opening scene. A silent man, with a rather stiff posture and slightly awkward manner. There isn't anything notable about the man, nor does there appear to be anything notable a Mifune. Of course, if you know who Mifune is, this in a way is its own achievement of sorts as Mifune always stands out, so performance as a man who doesn't stand out is kind of a strange achievement all its own. He's just kind of there and seemingly a man of no importance, exactly what his character should be. And with this, you can see the brilliance of their collaboration because Kurosawa didn't set a single type of role for Mifune, he could be the larger-than-life samurai, but he could also be a simple corporate "drone". 

Mifune doesn't even seem like the lead for a good half hour into the film when one of the corporate underlings is suggested he commits suicide by the corporate brass lest they be caught in their corruption charges. As the man is about to kill himself on a foggy mountain, Mifune's Nishi suddenly appears to stop the man from ending his life, not for any charity but rather to enable him to use the man as he pleases. Mifune's performance is still atypical within Kurosawa fair, from his glasses to his stiff posture to his whole manner, even when Nishi reveals himself, it is something else from Mifune. Where so often Mifune's work is about his wild physicality, the physicality here is still apparent yet extremely reserved instead of flamboyant. All of this is as logical as his portrayal of a crazed wannabe Samurai, as Mifune's performance realizes a man who is constrained both as a man pretending to be another man, and also as this other man as just a nothing company man. The traditional Mifune is quite apparent though, if a bit more hidden here, as we are granted the intensity Mifune is most known for, however, utilized here differently. His intensity is contained and volcanic, as he uses it as a weapon in this first scene where he verbally baggers the other man, speaking with such disdain for the worthless life he sees in front of him, and the nature of the men that the man was willing to kill himself for. 

Mifune though more often holds it in as he presents Nishi as this calm player at this game as he takes the suicidal man to his own funeral, to manipulate the man in changing allegiances by showing the dismissive nature of the man he "died" for. Mifune's eyes still stare daggers, but there is more than that here. There's a sense of cool and really smooth quality as he enacts this operation. Comfort and confidence in his manner as he goes about this method of revenge. Mifune presents a distinct sense of satisfaction as he slowly breaks down the man to do his bidding, and there is real joy in the whole process. Mifune isn't presenting a man just blithely going about revenge, he's showing a man who has taken time to consider every step of his revenge and takes great pride in going about his unusual task. Mifune plays around here with revenge in a particularly unusual way, and where the Hamlet comparison is apt, however not quite correct. The character of Nishi is very specifically doing an operation here, with his friend Itakura (Takeshi Katō) with whom he exchanged identities, to avenge the death of his father who was suggested to commit suicide by the corrupt men. Mifune's performance though is a combination of that genuine desire for revenge also creating this idea of a man who is in a way playing the game of revenge as it so defines Nishi's life. To the point that even Mifune shows the different ways his more expressive intensity is used here, at times directly to threaten, baring all the hate of a wronged son, however at a moment's notice Mifune shows the man change gear. The emotion doesn't fade but the directness of the intensity shows that even this is used with a certain purpose. 

There is a slow unraveling of exactly who Nishi is as this kind of mystery is at the center of the film, and Mifune excels within this idea. An idea that is so very different from many of his characters because of how careful and reserved his character is. Mifune segues naturally between the moments of the dutiful son-in-law who is of no importance, to the smooth operator lording his genius over his opponents, and of the angry son seeking vengeance. Mifune is convincing in each shade but what is more notable is the way he shows that in a certain respect, he's purposefully playing each shade as a choice that Nishi is making to put on one thing or another. The one aspect where this is not true is where we see Nishi's great sin in his operation here, which is marrying the corrupt VP (Masayuki Mori)'s handicapped daughter Yoshiko (Kyōko Kagawa), who is completely innocent in the situation. Initially, Mifune portrays these moments with a tight internalization of the man just taking in the crime, feeling the shame of it, but also living with that shame of it. It is exacerbated as his feelings for her end up not being false, and when pressed on that Mifune shows this excellent sort of leaking of this truth, that he is still trying to hold in as this shame. When one of the men he's turned brings Yoshiko through these all turns, Mifune is altogether brilliant in the scene. It is a scene without a facade, but a great deal of vulnerability as he can't quite face her though he lets out his emotional truths to her. Mifune delivers every line so gently yet so powerfully that has this catharsis of a man who has held so much in genuinely sharing himself with another. Showing the tragedy of the man's venture by revealing that a likely better life with Yoshiko would've been possible without the bad that men do. To be redundant, this is another great performance by Toshiro Mifune, that excels in different unexpected ways, and upon re-watch, this is all the more color and detail in a very atypical Mifune protagonist. 

Best Actor Backlog Volume 4

And the Overlooked Performances Are:

James Cagney in The Public Enemy

Toshiro Mifune in The Bad Sleep Well

Anthony Hopkins in A Doll's House

Alan Bates in Butley

Ray Milland in Alias Nick Beal

Alternate Best Actor 1949: Toshiro Mifune in Stray Dog

Toshiro Mifune did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Detective Murakami in Stray Dog.

Well given that I've reviewed nearly every other leading turn by Toshiro Mifune under the guidance of Akira Kurosawa I thought I might as well cover one that I missed. Of course I previously reviewed him for this year for his work as a doctor who accidentally contracts syphilis in The Quiet Duel, where Mifune revealed his skill in a particularly internalized role, Stray Dog however is in some ways an encapsulation of so many of the elements that makes him my favorite actor. On the first is the very idea of his collaboration with Kurosawa which simply is the greatest between any actor and director in cinematic history. Their achievement together surpasses all others without question. This is abundantly obvious within this film particularly in the earliest scenes that are almost silent in a way as we follow Mifune's Detective Murakami as he goes undercover in order to find the black market operators who have his pistol that was stolen from him. Kurosawa features much of the detail of the environment of the city, however Mifune is never lost within this technique. Mifune's presence of course helps to prevent this yet in every moment we see him he effectively conveying what Murakami is going through as he either wanders the streets or tails a potential suspect. Mifune captures obviously the determination of the detective, yet also conveys the frustrations of the chase, and even a bit humor in the degree of awkwardness he portrays when finding a perpetrator. Mifune and Kurosawa amplify the scenes together, as Kurosawa grants the us the imagery, and Mifune offers that focal point that amplifies it so well.

Mifune of course is almost always kind of the individualist within even the communal society in  every Kurosawa film, which he's here too, but more on that later. This though is the pioneer of the buddy cop duo specifically the veteran detective, here Sato played by Takashi Shimura, and the rookie Mifune's Murakami. The film follows them as they work together to find the "stray dog" aka the man who has Murakami's gun that he's using to violently rob people. Again as much as Mifune stands out as a performer he is not a showboat in all reality and does not stand in the way of his co-stars. Mifune here has, once again, terrific chemistry with Takashi Shimura, this perhaps being their best collaboration in terms of their direct interactions. Mifune knows how to share a scene as does Shimura and the two of them develop naturally the relationship between the detective. They find the right dynamic in every regard with Shimura always emphasizing the wisdom of the old mentor, while Mifune emphases the youth and inexperience of Murakami. The two only amplify this further through the striking way they interact in every scene. I love the way they contrast with Shimura always so calm, yet with certain type of potential energy in the right way in portraying the way Sato deals with a crime, against Mifune who depicts that pent up urgency of a man who both has never solved a case before but has a desperate need to do so.

Now in that desperate need is where we get the really the crux of the character and as expected Mifune uses it to realize Murakami as a distinct man. In the opening scene we get just brief moment of the a cocky young man seemingly quite happy in his job as he does target practice. Mifune in that brief moment doesn't reveal him as this huge ego, but rather seemingly someone on the rise in his life. The loss of the gun causes that shift though and Mifune is terrific in revealing that shattered confidence that stems the early desperation in Murakami as he attempts to recover the weapon. When the gun gets into the wrong hands though, and his loss inadvertently causes death due to the violent man who bought it, Mifune naturally shifts the character again. Mifune brings such a powerful emotion within the case by keeping this underlying and so palatable shame within Murakami. Every time they hear news of an injury or death caused by the gun, Mifune is terrific in the way his reactions convey the immediate deep despair in Murakami as that shame rises to the surface once again. Mifune makes this facet of the character but does not allow it to overwhelm the role entirely as he delves deeper into Murakami all the while the investigation continues on. Within that there is a key facet to the character which is Murakami's relationship to the man they are trying to catch.

Murakami's association to the stray dog is not of any real association, but rather a connection in theoretical mutual experience as both were former soldiers from the war who came back to their normal lives with nothing to show for it. The experience of the war, something that Mifune had experienced in real life as well, is something innately in his performances as it can be found within his personal intensity as a performer even when he's not directly emotional. This provides such a depth within his work here as Murakami as within his approach there is an undeniable sense within his performance of technically a harsher life that was behind him though still haunts him to a certain extent. When Murakami speaks of the stray dog, and how he could have potentially gone his way of life given his similair circumstances, Mifune is outstanding in the way his eyes seem to look within to convey the way Murakami is examining his own pains from the past. This is a consistent factor that Mifune brilliantly realizes though is naturally eased within the story as Sato always counters that Murakami is indeed a better man. Mifune beautifully realizes within his work they idea of that thought that perpetuates throughout. Again Mifune even when not front and center never wastes a moment. In his moments with Shimura, when he presents an overt comfort towards the younger man, Mifune effectively portrays the slight ease yet not removal of these thoughts that are a burden to the man. One of the best moments within Mifune's performance though is almost silent when he listens to the stray dog's girlfriend defend his actions by essentially explaining his plight, which is no different than what Murakami went through. Mifune's reaction hold such power as he depicts Murakami's understanding that his choices made him a different man. Mifune when finally speaks is incredible because he does reveal sanctimony in verbalizing the different path, as there still is the sense of the shared suffering, yet now with the conviction that he was in the right. Again as much as this is accomplished portrayal of this man dealing with his shame from his current failure, and the demons of the past, he is also simply a great lead in this police procedural. Mifune is captivating to watch as he works the case in every respect in creating again that urgency, but also in every moment with Shimura the learning process as he sees the seasoned officer work. Mifune naturally builds towards the climax of the film which is amazing scene for him as he represents the strength of Murakami coming into his own as a detective yet also the direct underlying fear of the danger in the moment, but with emotional intensity of man knowing he is truly fighting for a just cause.  I've said before, but it's always worth saying, and I hope to have the pleasure of saying it again, which is this is a great performance by Toshiro Mifune. It's a turn that reveals just how effortless yet remarkable his collaboration with Kurosawa was as well as his ability to not only giving a mesmerizing performance to watch, but also one that wholly captures the complexities of his character.

Alternate Best Actor 1949

And the Nominees Were Not:

Anton Walbrook in The Queen of Spades

David Farrar in The Small Back Room

Robert Ryan in The Set-Up

Howard Vernon in Le Silence de La Mer

Chishū Ryū in Late Spring

And a Special Review of:

Toshiro Mifune in Stray Dog

Alternate Best Actor 1968: Results

10. Vincent Price - Witchfinder General - Price gives an interesting performance attempting to bring complexity to his morally compromised inquisitor, unfortunately the film decides to use him just as a one note villain.

Best Scene: Being convinced to give a reprieve.

9. Jean-Louis Trintignant in The Great Silence - Trintignant gives a good performance as he brings the steely gaze needed for his swift killer, along with a bit of pathos within his silence alluding to his motivations though he is a tad overshadowed by his more maniacal co-star.

 Best Scene: Silence remembers.

8. Malcolm McDowell in If.... in McDowell gives a good performance as he portrays the gradual breakdown of a student into essentially a psychopath even though if it might feel like a warm up to his more renowned turn as a juvenile killer.  

Best Scene: Killing spree

7. Burt Lancaster in The Scalphunters - Lancaster gives an enjoyable turn portraying the right comical frustrations within his more typical western hero, along with striking the right endearing chemistry with his co-star.

Best Scene: The final fight.

6. Lee Marvin in Hell in the Pacific - Marvin gives a memorable one man show as a man slowly losing his mind as well as a memorable two man show in realizing a most unique yet believable chemistry with Toshiro Mifune.

Best Scene: The curious showdown. 

5. Ossie Davis in The Scalphunters - Davis gives a very entertaining portrayal of his outgoing yet quietly cunning character, and again has great chemistry with his co-star Lancaster.

Best Scene: The final fight. 

4. Toshiro Mifune in Hell in the Pacific - Shares his scenes so well with Marvin, as well as stands out well with his own one man show as the refined soldier struggling through his ordeal.

Best Scene: Finding the magazine.

3. Max von Sydow in Shame - von Sydow as per usual creates such a convincing relationship with Liv Ullmann which is especially pivotal here as the two together offer such a natural and harrowing depiction of a married couple dealing with and being changed by war.

Best Scene: Killing a man.

2. Charles Bronson in Once Upon a Time in the West - Bronson more than fulfills the role of the badass gunslinger, he goes further though creating such an endearing and humorous chemistry with his co-star Jason Robards, then goes even further in offering such an underlying emotional poignancy to the film through his performance. 

Best Scene: The final duel.

1. Burt Lancaster in The Swimmer - This one for the overall came down two rather different performances though by both masterful in their separate intentions. Bronson being such a brilliant minimalist performance, and Lancaster being such a brilliant expressive tour de force. Both have their unique challenges and match every one of them. Lancaster's task is different. Bronson is an essential part to an amazing film. Lancaster though is the factor that makes his film work at all offering a reality and heartbreaking humanity to such a surreal concept. Once Upon a Time in the West would have probably still have been great with a lesser lead, but not as great. The Swimmer would probably have been a failure without what Lancaster does. Even with that somewhat flimsy reasoning though this is still sort of a toss up as I love both performances, but I have to choose one.

Best Scene: "This is my wagon"

Updated Overall

Next Year: 1968 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1968: Toshiro Mifune and Lee Marvin in Hell in the Pacific

Toshiro Mifune and Lee Marvin did not receive Oscar nominations for portraying the Japanese Captain and the American pilot respectively in Hell in the Pacific.

Hell in the Pacific is an effective film, other than its needlessly bleak ending, about an American and a Japanese soldier during World War II being stuck on a desert island together.

The film features quite the starring pair with Mifune and Marvin, both real life veterans of World War II themselves, and thrusts them into a somewhat atypical film at least for the period. The film begins with both men already on the island, and with each man lacking the ability to speak the other man's language. The film opens with the two basically discovering each other where a battle of sorts takes place, though mostly for the collected fresh water on the island. The film though it was made by an English language production company and crew it technically isn't really an English language film per se. Both men speak and only really speak in their language. There is no preference made within the film, and there is no preference made in terms of who is the true lead so to speak. It is a very interesting set up since in a way it sets us with sort of two one man shows at once, though they do interact even that is very much internalized within the performances of each man for much of the film.

We have Lee Marvin perhaps one of the most "man's man" of the sixties as the American pilot and Marvin is sort of known for his particularly easygoing performance style even when playing technically intense characters. Marvin though is sort of the guy who just wears any hard edges so well within himself that it seems often like he does not need to try too much in that regard. That seems to free him up in a way to give perhaps a performance not always expected of the standard soldier which works very well here as the marooned man. Marvin establishes his role well in terms of the time that has likely been spent even before we meet the two men on the island. In that Marvin realizes the idea that the American has been here awhile right in his performance which lacks that outward intensity at times though he instead replaces that with this bit of insanity. Now this is not true insanity that Marvin shows but rather just the sort of partial madness inflicted on a guy who has been alone talking to himself for some time. In Marvin's delivery when he talks to himself there is a casual quality as though he's been doing for a while now to the point he doesn't give it even a second thought since he's been on the island for so long.

Then there is Toshiro Mifune, who despite being my favorite actor is not an actor who I have actively looked for his English language work. This mainly because, despite learning all the lines, he was often overdubbed poorly though since Mifune's voice is very distinct hearing anything else coming out of his mouth just seems wrong. Thankfully there is none of that nonsense here since Mifune speaks mostly in Japanese with just a few scant words in English in his real voice still. Mifune offers to begin with a more intense performance than Marvin, which is obviously something Mifune thrives with. Mifune's approach though is very much fitting to the Japanese man though given the different codes offered by their military with Mifune's character technically instructed to kill Marvin's character by the soldier's code. Mifune's approach fits that idea offering that killer instruction within his performance though he carefully mutes it ever so slightly. Mifune also portrays importantly the wear of the island in his performance as well. Mifune handles it as perhaps the second man to come though by depicting this underlying uncertainty in his physical portrayal of the Japanese Captain's manner. He has a certain fear in his intensity, as he shows the man looking for any surprises while trying to figure out his situation on the island.

The initial "battle" is very well played by both actors in that neither depict this as this cunning scheme by either man in order to get an advantage over the other. There is something more about it in both show there to be this desperation in every strike they take, and both portray that the men are as confused as when they attack as when they defend. Neither portray any hatred really in these early scenes but rather a defensive suspicion of sorts as they each make their moves against the other though usually only getting the upper hand for a moment. The two are great in the way they portray this seeking for connection even in these early stage such as in there technically most intense confrontation when they come for a duel of sorts the Japanese with a makeshift wooden samurai sword and the American with a knife. Marvin and Mifune both do well to depict a nervousness and confusion in their eyes as they reveal the men not wanting to fight to the death, while also showing that they don't know exactly what else to do either. They continue on the fighting even past this point but in the right awkward fashion. Mifune showing it as the Japanese soldier never really having an exact passion in capturing the American, just doing his perceived duty, while Marvin shows the American making a literal game out of it times almost joking around fitting to the somewhat aloof state he established that the American is in.

They eventually stop trying to best each other and begin attempting to deal with their situation of being on the desert island. The two though begin separated in this task and we are granted a bit more of each actor giving their own rendition of Castaway, just Wilson happens to be an actual person. Now in this rendition the two both thrive since they are both incredibly magnetic performers though in different ways. Marvin again continues to excel as the man who has kind of lost his mind as he brings such natural humor to the man pondering over his situation, and trying to decipher and work with his other "friend". Marvin does some talking, but often as mumbling though which wholly suits the role of the man who is more than a little lost both mentally and physically. Mifune on the other hand though conveys a greater resolve in the Japanese soldier, though is also comical in his own way as juxtaposed against Marvin's performance. Mifune though captures almost this rigorous devotion as the Japanese man attempts to prepare for his situation through this quietude of a man almost in meditation, only occasionally broken in his often amusing befuddled reactions towards whatever Marvin might be doing at a given moment. I have particular affection for Mifune's studious and calm re-raking of some sand after Marvin steps in it.

The two do begin to work together in order to make a raft to escape together and the actors work in creating the right type of chemistry with one another. The right type because there is always a certain disconnect in the verbal aspect which Marvin and Mifune portray fitting to two people who can't quite even say hello with each other to begin with, and their vocabulary doesn't improve all that much as the story progresses either. They work well in creating the physical interactions, that do actual create a chemistry there. The two begin to slowly have in through the subtle physical gestures and facial ques to create a convincing connection between the two. What is most notable though in this is how Marvin and Mifune reveal this growing ease in each other presence, as the two pull back on some of the aspects of their performances that defined the men alone, Mifune losing his intensity, and Marvin actually becoming less aloof.  Both actors are remarkable though since they do end up saying so much without really saying much of anything just by making this friendship all in the unsaid, and mutual devotion that each show is focused upon helping each other get off the island. When they manage to escape the island it i inspiring not only in the accomplishment but through how believable Mifune and Marvin make the two enemies become allies. The film though reaches its unfortunate ending where the men come to another apparently deserted island. Although their good feelings continue at first they get reminders of the war, by finding an abandoned army base, and the conflict begins again. Both actors make this a painfully believable transition as well with Marvin showing the American falling back into his own world again, and Mifune is rather heart wrenching depiction of the Japanese soldiers anguish as he looks upon various images of destruction against the Japanese in a LIFE magazine. The connection is gone as Mifune shows the Japanese man falling into his own sorrows  and anger related to the war, while Marvin shows the American unable to find any useful words to bridge the gap. I'd say the film could have ended with the two at the moment and would have been fitting to both characters and the terrific performances of the lead. The film though throws in an arbitrary final moment that unfortunately undercuts rather than amplifies the rest of the film. Thankfully there is the rest of the film though which contains to very impressive performances by Mifune and Marvin who both give intriguing one man shows yet manage to transition naturally into a unique two man show that results in a powerful portrait of two enemies finding common ground.

Alternate Best Actor 1968

And the Nominees Were Not:

Lee Marvin in Hell in the Pacific

Burt Lancaster in The Scalphunters

Charles Bronson in Once Upon a Time in the West

Malcolm McDowell in If....

Vincent Price in Witchfinder General

Predict Those Five or These Five.

Toshiro Mifune in Hell in the Pacific

Ossie Davis in The Scalphunters

Jean-Louis Trintignant in The Great Silence

Max von Sydow in Shame 

Burt Lancaster in The Swimmer

Or Both. 

Alternate Best Actor 1962: Results

10. Oskar Werner in Jules and Jim - Werner's role is limited yet his unassuming charm manages to keep himself from being overshadowed despite the film's apparent desire otherwise.

Best Scene: Jules talks about Catherine's True Nature.

9. Montgomery Clift in Freud - Clift manages to create a compelling portrait of Freud not through mannerisms, but rather finding the emotional core within the man's motivations.

Best Scene: Freud finding the truth behind Cecily's mental trauma.

8. Laurence Harvey in The Manchurian Candidate - Harvey portrays well the cold calculated man turned into a cold killer, but also manages to be extremely moving in portraying the vulnerabilities of the man.

Best Scene: The Assassination

7. Patrick McGoohan in in All Night Long - McGoohan gives a fascinating portrayal of an Iago like drummer, whose greatest joy comes from the torment of others.

Best Scene: Johnnie "accidentally" spills secrets to Rex. 

6. Toshiro Mifune in Sanjuro - Mifune gives a great reprise of his role in Yojimbo, by slanting towards comedy and succeeding quite thoroughly in this regard.

Best Scene: The samurai observes the rescued women. 

5. Tom Courtenay in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner - I'll say right now that I had a great difficulty ranking these five, and found it even more impossible when having to include Peck, Wayne and Lemmon. These are all exceptional performances starting with Courtenay's intense yet heart wrenching depiction of young man lashing out due to his hatred of authority but also from his own fear.

Best Scene: The Beach.

4. James Stewart in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - Stewart gives one of his best performances as both a young man passionately fighting for what is right, as well as an older man forcing to live with the lie that made his life.

Best Scene: The Senator finishes the story.

3. Robert Mitchum in Cape Fear - Mitchum creates one of the all time great cinematic villains, not through the depiction of a mastermind, but rather a violent creep who's completely content with his actions.

Best Scene: Cady's mentions his wife.

2. Tatsuya Nakadai in Harakiri - Nakadai gives an outstanding performance as he realizes not only an otherworldly spirit of righteous vengeance, but also the man who became it.  

Best Scene: Hanshiro Tsugumo finishes his story. 

1. James Mason in Lolita - Good Predictions JackiBoyz, RatedRStar. Mason gives an outstanding performance as he manages to balance everything in the film. He's the perfect straight man for Sellers's comedy, he manages to make Humbert far more sympathetic than should be possible, while giving an absolutely mesmerizing depiction of man being destroyed mentally and physically by his unhealthy obsession.    

Best Scene: Humbert confronts Quilty.

Overall Rank:

1. Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia
2. James Mason in Lolita
3. Tatsuya Nakadai in Harakiri
4. Jack Lemmon in The Days of Wine and Roses
5. Robert Mitchum in Cape Fear
6. Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird
7. James Stewart in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
8. Tom Courtenay in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
9. John Wayne in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
10. Terence Stamp in Billy Budd
11. Toshiro Mifune in Sanjuro
12. Patrick McGoohan in All Night Long
13. Laurence Harvey in The Manchurian Candidate
14. Frank Sinatra in The Manchurian Candidate 
15. Trevor Howard in Mutiny on the Bounty
16. Richard Attenborough in Trial and Error 
17. Phillip Alford in To Kill a Mockingbird
18. Montgomery Clift in Freud
19. Sean Connery in Dr. No 
20. Paul Newman in Sweet Bird of Youth 
21. Peter Ustinov in Billy Budd
22. Gregory Peck in Cape Fear
23. Oskar Werner in Jules and Jim  
24. Peter Sellers in Trial and Error
25. Robert Preston in The Music Man
26. Paul Harris in All Night Long
27. Burt Lancaster in Birdman of Alcatraz
28. Henri Serre in Jules and Jim
29. Marlon Brando in Mutiny on the Bounty

Next: The Waiting Game.