Akira Kurosawa: Every Movie Ranked Worst To Best

26. The Quiet Duel (1949)

Ikiru 1952
Toho

Takashi Shimura appeared in twenty-one of Kurosawa's thirty films, but the actor most associated with the filmmaker is unquestionably Toshiro Mifune, an actor who elevated everything he was in with his powerful gaze and explosive acting style.

In The Quiet Duel, he stars as a weary doctor who contracts syphilis in a botched operation, and finds his life spiralling out of control as a result.

Filmed on a solitary soundstage and lacking any memorable imagery, the mostly forgettable drama is best watched for its typically resounding Mifune performance, which serves as a nice reminder why Kurosawa worked with him on sixteen films.

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