User reviews

Mifune is a surprisingly easy film to watch, delightful in many respects and certainly original. The comedy is in many ways unique; nothing hits you in the cinema, but you still leave with a smile on your face. The acting is, in my view, superb, the locations fitting, and the plot; well, original and refreshing. If you need cheering up or it's a rainy day then I recommend this film. Very refreshing indeed.

I've always been a fan of European cinema, mostly because it has something more to offer than Hollywood's mass production. Don't think that I hate every movie that comes from Hollywood or that I love all European films. As well in Europe as in America, they have made some excellent movies as well as awful ones.

If it isn't a better story or more profound characters, than it is the style of filming that makes European cinema a little different from the American. And this movie has it all. The story is very good and original and the characters are very recognizable. I really got the feeling that I got to know them better, even though their lives are sometimes completely different from mine. But most important is the way everything is shot. For those who aren't familiar with the rules made up by Dogma yet, I'll give a small explanation: the director promises not to use extra light, special effects, extra sound effects... They want to make the story speak for itself and show everything in a natural and realistic way. To some this may seem like the most boring concept ever. I guess many people who like movies like The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Spiderman,... movies that are full of special effects, huge scenes and nice visual effects, may not be blown away by this movie. I know that many people may hate the concept, that many people don't want to see this kind of movies, but personally I find this a very welcome concept in a world where everybody seems to feel the need to copy what works, without being original.

Kresten has moved from a small Danish island, where his parents farm is, to Copenhagen in order to pursue an excellent career and unconcerned life. He marries his boss's daughter and is sure that he'll become the new boss as soon as his father-in-law decides to retire. But on his honeymoon he gets a phone call that his father died and that he'll have to return home. The only problem is that he has never told his wife that he had a father and a retarded brother, living together on the family farm. Once he arrives at the farm, he sees that much hasn't changed or been done since he left and he decides that they will need a housekeeper to clean up the mess. He sends an advertisement to a local newspaper and he immediately gets a reaction from Liva Psilander. Liva is a prostitute who wants to start a new life. She wants to escape from an anonymous psychopath who harasses her by phone and needs a lot of money to pay her brother Bjarke's school tuition. When Kresten's wife discovers the truth, or at least what she thinks the truth is, she breaks off the marriage and makes sure that Kresten will lose his job at her father's company and that he'll never get it back. Now Kresten will have to live together with his brother, with Livia and her little brother in the old farm on the island...

I can assure you that you'll have to get used to the way of filming at first. Perhaps you'll need two viewings to fully appreciate this movie, but once you can see past the style of filming, you'll see that this movie has a very beautiful and hearth warming subject. Personally I really liked it and that's why I give this movie at least an 8/10, even an 8.5/10.

I saw the film last night on TV, but have been wanting to rent it for the last 5 years, but never did. The story reminded me a bit of Rainman, but being a Dogma movie gave it it's special charm.Especially the isolation of the location on an island and the harshness of living on such an isolated farm were brought over very well by the dogma principle of using only natural light. I thought the acting of Iben Hjejle was fantastic as the prostitute who is on a crossroad in her life and has to find out which road to take. The other characters (except for Kresten's wife)are also played very believable. The only thing that bothers me is the overacting. Dogma pretends to be as close to reality as possible, but i cannot believe that in Denmark, when there is a small disagreement, everybody starts to scream at each other in such an overdone way. Still it remains a good, entertaining movie, so watch it!!

Despite the Dogme trappings, there is a story here. It is about lying and its consequences.

Kresten, a young go-go company man is marrying the boss's daughter, but hides, then fabricates his country past. He doesn't get away with it for long and ends up shamed and divorced. Likewise, a young prostitute, Liva, tries to flee her surroundings, but they follow her and in the end visit - literally - wrath on her new home.

The only spiritually pure character, content in his surroundings, too innocent of wit to lie, is Kresten's retarded brother Rud. It seems that everything he says, no matter how far-fetched, turns out to be true. He is also the teacher of kindness who, since he is inarticulate, can only teach by example.

Actually, I think the most unambiguously satisfying relationship here is between Rud and Liva's beastly little brother Bjarke. It is Bjarke who can't handle the truth about himself and his sister. Quickly, the stereotypes he has learned to brutalize in the social Darwinian hell of boarding school confront him with their humanity and teach him that life doesn't have to be the daily exercise in cynicism that he and his sister suppose.

There is atonement for all three, visited in different forms, but ultimately redeeming and providing a hopeful ending to the story.

Unfortunately, there are a few problems in Mifune which marred my viewing. A major one is the text, which is badly abused in translation to English. For some reason, the translator has seen fit to turn words which in Danish mean "damn" or "hell" into "f**k". Perhaps he or she thought it would give the dialog more impact. He or she was wrong.

Another problem is the unresolved and perhaps unnecessary character of the ugly and despicable Gerner, whose purpose I'm not exactly sure of, other than as a kind of agent of punishment - perhaps a devil - descending on the hapless Kresten. In any case, we need at least to know more about him, or perhaps even have him whacked or otherwise disposed of for dramatic purposes.

Anyway, as with most European movies, "Mifune" is more about character than story. I strongly recommend that you meet Kresten, Rud, Liva and Bjarke. I think you'll like them in the end.

"Mifune..." is about a newly wed Yuppi groom who returns to his roots from his honeymoon when his father dies. There he takes charge of a run down old farm, his mentally challenged brother, and a call-girl/housekeeper with a wayward younger bro. The film seems to lose track of its purpose as the principal characters and the audience are distracted by a series of peculiar side events which contribute little to the plot. The result is "Mifune..." comes off like a love story with very little love and almost no romance. When the climax finally arrives, credits are rolling.

I didn't know much about this movie going in, but I got a very nice surprise. The Kresten plot -- a yuppie summoned home to deal with his redneck past by the death of his father -- could have been a dull family drama, but this movie was much better than that. It turns out that he has a number of things about his past that he's kept secret from the people in his city life -- his retarded brother, the badly run-down farm he grew up on, and more. Some of his story is serious, and much is played for humor, with good taste separating the drama and humor.

The Liva plot -- a woman escaping prostitution into an honest common job -- was completely opposite the Hollywood presentation of prostitution. (Hollywood either glamorizes it, uses it as an opportunity to add gratuitous sex before switching to the gratuitous violence.) Liva's prostitution pays fairly well, but it's clearly miserable, degrading, full of fear, and sometimes danger. The movie shows why she wants out with understated drama -- instead of rubbing her misery in our faces, it shows us hints of it, but leaves room for us to imagine just how bad it is for her.

When Liva escapes prostitution with a job as Kresten's housekeeper, the her part in the movie switches from drama to comedy, in the form of funny situations and events that feel natural, rather than contrived gag situations.

The acting was very good, particular Iben Hjejle's portrayal of Liva. Anders W. Berthelsen played Kresten well, and Emil Tarding's smaller role as Liva's young brother Bjarke was also very good.

I had never heard of the Dogme film series until after seeing this movie. The only one Dogme rule that really matters to the movie was that the plot must stick to real life and avoid superficial violence. That demanded a plot where the characters and story matter, and Søren Kragh-Jacobsen delivered. The simple camera work, natural lighting, minimal set dressing, etc., didn't improve the movie. But neither did the simple movie-making detract from the quality -- they deserve praise for doing so well within their rules of simplicity. One additional benefit of the movie-making simplicity rules was that it kept the budget low, so that more good movies like this could be made.

"Mifunes Sidste Sang" is the third Dogma 95 film, and it's no disappointment. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't care much about the rules of Dogma 95, according to me "Festen" and "Mifune" would have been just as good films even if they didn't follow the rules of Dogma 95, it's the humanity of the stories which make them interesting. This film is entertaining and well-acted (Iben Hjejle is perfect and I look forward to seeing her in "High Fidelity") and in the end it's one of those feel-good films. (6/10)

This is a great movie... I think that all the actors and actresses did a very good job!... go see it! I think that Jesper Asholt did the best part!.. you can't tell if his like that in real life :) but i know he isn't... because I know him! then there is Iben and Anders who is unbelievable good actors! I just loved the movie.. a great little lovestory! I can't say that much about Emil playing Livas little brother... I can only say that he is NOT like that in real life... because I also know him! :) .. but i believe it was a great role to play and I think he did it good!

Best regards Emil Tarding

Søren Kragh Jacobsen has succeeded to make a liberating, lighthearted and entertaining film, that - unlike the other Dogmafilm (Festen and Idioterne) doesn't leave us disturbed and worried afterwards. The only thing Mifune leaves behind, is a simple smile (and not necessarily in the bad sense of the word).

The casting is eminent, as the actors never let that feeling down of a fairytale-story from the Danish potatofields. Especially Iben Hjejle as a sensual and bright girl. You just want to take a bite of this woman. She has got that hot radiation and down-to-earth attitude that the Hollywood divas and plastic operations never have had, and never will get. Jesper Asholt reveals a great talent as the retarded Rud in such convincing style, that it brings memories to other outcasts and misunderstood loveable film-monsters like Quasimodo, The Elephant Man and King Kong!

Being the third of the succesful series af Dogma film, makes it impossible to avoid comparisons. Whereas Vinterberg and von Trier in their contributions deals with deep psycological traumas and tragedies; confrontation used as therapy and finally; defeat turned in to victory - Søren Kragh-Jacobsen doesn't dig deeper than the first inches in the Danish soil. And that's why Mifune won't be catagorized in the same extravagant league as the two highly rated foregoing movies deserves. But maybe that's just what's good about this third one. The last thing the Dogme brothers and sisters would like to see, was if the concept got locked in some genre or in a pre-fabricated pattern. In a way this film - hopefully - serves as a link between what started it all - and what we can expect to come from Dogma in the future. (6/10)

Mifune is in my top five movies. I have probably watched this movie over three hundred times, and every time I am delighted by a small detail: the camera angle, the dialog, the consistency, the absolutely beautiful setting. The script/story is full of a vibrancy and living in a such a simple and classy way that you can't help but smile and believe in the immortality of these characters throughout human time, to be played out over and over again. And thus revealing the truth of the matter of love. Iben Hjejle, who plays Liva, is gorgeous and natural, an amazing amazing actress. She shines like the sun because she is allowed to. You can see she was allowed to "play" this character as she felt, and with heart. Anders Berthelsen, who plays Kresten, really absorbs the character, becoming this man who has survived the farm and made it to the top of monetary success, but finds love in the land and in Liva, as well as his brother Rud. Rud, played by Jesper Asholt, has to be the secret genius of this film. Every moment of every shot he is the gentle loving giant child. One actor who is going to be a huge success is Emil Tarding, who plays Liva's little brother Bjarke. What a smart clever funny young man. They all shine because of the writing, first and foremost, and because of the Dogma rules, second. Dogma is a revolution, pure, true, allowing movement and flow, like a mountain river in comparison to a polluted ditch, making it hard to watch our American 100 million dollar movies with any respect. Mifune is personal. It is obvious there was a small crew. One gaffer for example, so that it's as if you are there, the only one, inside the story, watching like a fly on the wall, enjoying the struggle through the confusion of life, as everyone. A massive crew of hundreds disturbs the acting, disturbs the vibe, becomes the movie, rather then the film being the focus. Somehow these larger and larger films just become money vampires for people to fill their bank accounts, rather then go to make something beautiful, as this. Anyway, one can see in watching this film how a movie should really "feel." You can understand that the actors felt comfortable and the whole thing came very naturally for them, rather then forced. One can immediately understand that the director Soren K. Jacobson was excited and felt the artist, allowing himself the opportunity to touch base with why we make films in the first place, art. When I get sick of Hollywood films (every other day) I watch Mifune and feel refreshed and I believe in the poetry of film once again. I can believe that a simple story is capable of being entertainment and moving, rather then great big complicated stories that consume the characters, and miss the mark.

It was a good film, but the story is not properly connected. There are gaps which make it difficult to see. I expected more on the Mifune angle.

A movie to fall in love with. Simple as that. A tender, sweet love story that will make your heart melt (I know how terribly cheesy that sounds, but I stand by my words), unless your heart is made of stone. It's another Danish masterpiece and yet another Dogme movie (but don't worry; once you get used to the shaky cam, these films are all richly rewarding). 8 stars out of 10.

In case you're interested in more underrated film gems, here's some of my favorites:

imdb.com/list/ls070242495

Most of the comments made on this movie are rather critical, and admittedly not all aspects of the film are equally satisfactory. However, it seems to me that you must judge it by what it seeks to achieve. It is not an ambitious movie in any sense and against that background I think it succeeds quite well. Both Iben Hjejle (her in particular) and Anders Berthelsen give very convincing performances and very much carry the film. This is the sort of film that makes you feel good without the shallowness and emptiness that so often mar the typical 'Feel-good' Hollywood production. For me, the pros weigh up the cons - and therefore I think it is well worth worth watching.

(1) We, the undersigned, intend to turn our back on cinematic history. Our works will have nothing in common with the masterpieces of the past; they will, however, be ideally suited to the inward-looking, unadventurous spirit of the late twentieth century.

(2) We shall indulge in as little creation as possible. No original music, no costume design, no art direction, no sets, no sound effects, and no images (with a caveat we'll get to in a moment) that weren't already lying around Denmark, so to speak, waiting for someone to come along and pick them up.

(3) Of course, we still intend to employ actors; we don't intend to restrict ourselves to using only those PEOPLE who were all ready lying around on location. Nor do we intend to make documentaries. Almost every single image will therefore be artificial, in the very sense we disavow, after all.

(4) We intend to make it impossible for ourselves to be as good as the best of our competition, while still running the risk of being as bad as everyone else.

(5) When we have strong story (like the one we used in "Mifune's Last Song", for instance), its merits shall be made apparent by shackling it to our ineffective, theory-driven technique, to let people know that our story is so good we can afford to sabotage it a little. The squandering of good material that results may even be heartbreaking.

(6) Conversely, our pseudo-realist technique should paper over any weaknesses in the story without removing them. If the script calls for unmotivated violence we can jiggle the camera a bit in the hopes that no-one will notice. In general our hand-held camera work will either drive people nuts, or be crafted so as to simulate the effect of a tripod, without, of course, actually buying a tripod.

(7) Our films shall all be contemporary - as we all know, being contemporary is in itself a virtue - and as unmagical, in every sense of the word, as possible, even when the subject matter cries out for a more romantic treatment.

(8) We will not credit the director. Everyone will find out who the director is anyway, but for obscure reasons we feel it important that they not find out from us.

(9) We shall display a certificate of ideological purity before all of our works.

(10) These ridiculous restrictions will certainly hone our skills as film-makers, should we ever get around to abandoning them and making movies freely again. In the meantime we may be able to persuade people to watch our academic training exercises. Why not? These days one can get away with anything.

This was the first film I had seen from the Dogma series and I didn't know quite what to expect. Mifune is actually a very moving and personal insight into the life styles of a small handfull of characters. The acting in the movie is superb and it follows the rules of dogma down to a tee (natural lighting, no sound effects etc.). The film at face value is also very funny, although the source of comedy is rather disturbing. This is a film that will stay fresh in your mind long after you leave the cinema. 7/10.

Of all the Dogme films I've seen, this is the least offending and also, sadly, the least affecting. Both Celebration and The Idiots (and mostly the latter) shocked, and thus had great impact. Neither were true masterpieces but they did leave you with something to think about once you left the theatre. Mifune, on the other hand, plods along at an easy pace. We know how it's going to end (though I'm not going to give that away), and we know how the characters are going to act. It's nothing we haven't really seen before, and nothing we haven't seen done better (e.g., Leaving Las Vegas).

I may now be misleading you, because I didn't at all think this was a bad film and it gripped me from start to finish. This was due to some superb acting and some inventive direction – something that's attracted me to each and every Dogme film. Jesper Asholt is impressive as the retarded brother of the main character. His performance was believable and understated, where it would have been so easy to over-act. Emil Tarding was also a joy to watch as the young son, Bjarke. Compared to many young actors he held himself well and wasn't overshadowed by his older counterparts.

The style of Dogme gives realism to any film but couldn't save this one from being, for want of a better phrase, ‘Hollywoodized.' I guess I was just expecting something a little bit more challenging when I approached this as a Dogme film. This made me slightly disappointed when the credits rolled. However, the meandering of the plot and the rich multitude of characters made for an entertaining film. This it where it differed from a typical Hollywood film; the characters didn't always serve to move the plot onto the next page. Something perfected in the modern masterpiece, Pulp Fiction.

While an entertaining film, this lacked any real punch, separating it from both The Idiots and Celebration. For those that care, I gave this film 7/10.

Very emotional and romantic movie. Real love story, not a Cinderella fairy tale.

MSS is about small town people. The main hero has moved to the big city, succeeded in business and had married "the right" woman. But within a day he is forced to come back to his old house, to his ill-minded brother, to the problems and life of different scale. To the old samurai Toshiro Mifune, who lives in the cellar. But there he finally realizes how people from there are dear for him.

The main idea is "the life is not just roses, we have to overcome difficulties and always stay human to each other".

Lively actors performance and light atmosphere together with an exciting story make this movie a must-watch.

I was really confused when I left the cinema. On one hand, I very much enjoyed the way characters felt down to earth, human, with all their faults. On the other hand, there were a few passages where the plot seemed TOTALLY unrealistic (particularly in the end), that people just can't feel and act this way in the particular situation. All that not in the glossy Hollywood way, but from the hands of European filmmakers, who usually draw very realistic plots and characters. It was a shame, as I would have remembered the film for its better traits, it wasn't for the end that spoiled much of it for me.

The third Dogme film, "Mifune" is the best film of the decade. Characters are nicely developed, and pictures are beautifully shot. I can't believe that it is shot without filters and only available light. Nice plot. Kresten's Toshiro Mifune is wonderful. I just want to say "Thank you for showing this wonderful piece" 10 of 10

I've really enjoyed all the movies I've seen from the Dogme movement, and Mifune is no exception. Stripped down of all the special effects and glitz and glamour that has subverted the movie business in Hollywood, the film makers who adhere to the Dogme principles are able to focus on those elements that really make a film worth watching and memorable - good characters, good acting, good dialogue, tight editing.

All it takes is a small cast and crew and minimal technology to add these things to a movie, and create a work of art that stands unique and challenging. So why is it that George Lucas with his billions of dollars and millions of special effects technicians can't manage to get these fundamental elements right? (To pick one recent prominent example of Hollywood squandering time, money and talent).

Thank goodness there are still places in the world where the cynical marketing dollar doesn't control all, and real movies can still be made!

I was looking forward to this film as being a fresh and interesting piece of modern cinema. I was disappointed, it was complete rubbish. Reasons for my comment would be: annoying characters, dire script and boring direction. I may be wrong with this evaluation, I doubt it, but this my opinion.

Terrific acting and mesmerising locations make this an easy movie to love. Denmark's hazy, almost dreamy summer light lends a touch of magic to this tale of a prodigal son's enforced return.

The main characters are exquisitely drawn. Berthelsen plays newlywed Copenhagen yuppie Kresten, who has denied the very existence of his family in far-off (or so he thought) Lolland. Rud, his retarded brother, is brought to us with great sensitivity and charm in a show-stealing performance by Jesper Asholt. Iben Hjejle sparkles as Liva, a city prostitute with steadily mounting problems, many of which can be traced directly to her brattish younger brother Bjarke, for whom she seems to have assumed parental responsibility.

Before long (and to nobody's great surprise), we see these two pairs of siblings brought crashing together by life's twists and turns. Kresten is summoned back to Lolland in the middle of his honeymoon by news of his father's death. He soon sees that Rud is incapable of looking after himself and is forced to stay on temporarily in Lolland.

His advertisement for a housekeeper attracts Liva's attention just as she finally wears out her welcome in Copenhagen. Bjarke lasts about five minutes in the big city without her, and soon follows her to Lolland.

The interplay between these makeshift cohabitees is wonderful, particularly Rud's relationships with Kresten and Bjarke. Endless summer evenings spent in Lolland's rural idyll with these four for company will soon have you believing in crop circles and cellar-dwelling samurai heroes.

On the back of some audacious tricks to get us this far, Kragh-Jacobsen delivers a transcendent hour or so in the middle of this film that reminds me of just why I love the cinema so much.

Having created this beautiful, shimmering landscape (both emotional and physical), and reminded us that love for your family - and perhaps, in a special way, your siblings - is its own reward, the movie finds it has nowhere particular left to go. There are supporting characters - some of them reasonably well-formed, others not - but once our quartet is established and the relationships between them start to blossom, any involvement from outsiders is unwelcome, unfulfilling and only likely to bring trouble.

It's no spoiler, for I mean it purely in structural terms, when I say that we are brought to a bumpy and unsatisfying ending to this ride through the lives of four people we soon grow to care a great deal about.

For me, though, despite its shortcomings, Mifune was a beautiful movie that I'm sure I'll watch again, many times.

This movie is in a class by itself. It is it by turns funny and frighteningly violent.

It reminded me a bit of Gilbert Grape, since it is a about a man who lovingly cares for his retarded younger brother. The retarded brother Rud looks a bit like a troll. He is repulsive at first and gradually he grows on you as you realise he is not dangerous.

The pace in very slow, like a Sunday afternoon picnic in the Danish countryside.

Counterposed to this is the frantic life of a prostitute trying to get away from her perverted and violent clients, and the way the hookers band together for mutual protection.

One of the charming themes is the way Rud wins over the obnoxious younger brother of the prostitute, and in a way tames him.

The title Mifune comes from a game the brothers play, with the older one pretending to be a terrifying samurai who lives in the basement.

The pace can be maddenly slow, somewhat like the Unbearable Lightness of Being, with nothing much happening, just like real life, then POUNCE some momentous event lands out of the blue.

Arguably the best of the films adhering to the Dogma 95 Manifesto, and the first to be shot on film rather than video, MIFUNE'S LAST SONG is a genuinely enjoyable film. Unpretentious and optimistic, MIFUNE is funny, affectionate and entertaining. This is the one which illustrates the brilliant new path which Danish film has taken in the past few years.