The Emperor and the Wolf: The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune

The first -- and long overdue -- English-language biography of two of the world's great cinema figures. Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune made sixteen feature films together, including "Rashomon," "Seven Samurai," "Throne of Blood," "Yojimbo," and" High and Low" -- all undisputed masterworks of world cinema. Kurosawa's films inspired blockbuster remakes and influenced directors like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, and Martin Scorsese. Meanwhile, Mifune virtually invented the roaming warrior rogue, a character adapted with great success by actors like Clint Eastwood, Sean Connery, Bruce Willis, and countless others. Their impact on the international film world is undisputable, yet at the very height of their abilities, Kurosawa and Mifune went their separate ways. After "Red Beard" in 1965 they would never work together again -- nor would they ever achieve the same level of success apart as they had together. "The Emperor and the Wolf" is an in-depth look at the life and work of these two luminaries of cinema. Full of behind-the-scenes details about their tumultuous lives and stormy relationships with the studios and each other, it is also a provocative look at postwar American and Japanese culture and the different lenses through which the two societies viewed each other.

Review :
"A terrific book, and long overdue: a well-researched study of how a great director and a great actor fired each other up; an informative history of how high profile Japanese films were received at home and abroad; [and] a surprising genealogy of the modern action hero." --Christopher Frayling, author of "Sergio Leone" "A monumental job of research [and] a rare feast for lovers of Japanese cinema . . . . infused throughout with an affection for its subjects that is contagious. Best of all, it does what all good film books should do: it returns us, with an enriched appreciation, to the movies themselves." --Peter Biskind, "The New York Times Book Review" "[A] splendid dual biography . . . . Where [Galbraith] really scores is in illuminating the two men's lives, and the lives of many of their close associates, as well as their work." --"The Economist" "Galbraith is an obvious enthusiast, and his love and encyclopedic knowledge of Japanese cinema radiate off every page. He is also a sensitive critic of Kurosawa's work who does not make the common mistake of viewing the master's films through a Western prism." --Nicholas Riccard, "Variety" "Not many film books deserve to have the adjective 'extraordinary' applied to them, but Stuart Galbraith's The Emperor and the Wolf is nothing less than that. In fact, it's more . . . . this 823-page achievement wants to be all things to all admirers of its twin subjects, and, incredibly, it succeeds. Reference work, scrupulously thorough filmography, exhaustive biography-all are here . . . A graceful, economical writer, [Galbraith] is also a first-rate critic and film historian. [The Emperor and the Wolf] is a wonder of clarity andorganization, and an enormous pleasure to read . . . . [a] magnificent book." --Bill Kelley, "The Sarasota Herald Tribune" "An important reference work on both men . . . . thanks to Galbraith and his inexhaustible research, the stature of both these artists has been reaffirmed." --Bob Leddy, "The Providence Journal" "An informative, intelligent and carefully considered study of one of the greatest actor-director teams in the history of cinema." --Martin Scorsese