Mifune

Sorry I don't think it was any thing special. I thought Festen was great but his movie is just mediocre. With dogma the movie rest on the strength of the story and acting, (and the directing although they say other wise). Just another "guy falling for the hooker with a heart of gold" story to me. The plot was sort of dumb and silly and not all that believable and characters did things that made no sense to me at all. I'm not saying it was horrible, just that it wasn't all that great.

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 starts off a little slow and at first you are really not sure where it is going. Thankfully this does not last for long. The characters have many dimenions and the viewer quickly cares and grows more curiousity towards the characters. Yes, many of the Dogme 95 guildlines are in this film however (must like Festen... another fabulous film) it is the story that makes this such a great film.

All characters in this film are completly different from eachother. The dialouge itself is not what makes this film great, it's the story of all these people combined.

Dogme films often show things that an American audience may have a hard time dealing with. If seeing something and learning from something that Americans can hide from is something that holds an interest than I highly recommend this film.

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.

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.