Toshiro Mifune's turn as the stuttering Gonzo in RED LION is so out of character for the actor that his performance here really stands out. The gullible Gonzo (who fell out of a tree as a kid and presumably did some serious damage to his noggin) returns to his village, Sawando, wearing the mane of The Red Lion as a representative of The Imperial Army (which is on its way to facilitate what they refer to as "the world renewal," during which all taxes will be waived and all wrongs set right). Gonzo meets the pickpocket Sanji "The Wallet Collector," Hanzo, a "lai" (quick-draw swordsman),and is reunited with his long-lost love, Otomi (who was forced into prostitution when Gonzo was believed killed and tossed into a river). Says the naive Gonzo: "There's really gonna be a world renewal! It's gonna be a peasant's world!" (The Occupy Movement, anyone...?) "Those with money really DO have money," marvels one young woman sold into prostitution when she sees the loot hoarded by the corrupt town officials. But all is not well. "You're doomed," Gonzo's mother tells him: "No matter how many lives you've got!" The zaibatsu (plutocrats) won't allow the peasants to rise up. (The Occupy Movement, anyone...?) "Theory and real life can sometimes come into conflict," the old village sensei observes at one point. There are some interesting characters throughout RED LION and, as stated, Mifune takes a turn for the funny throughout- but his humorous antics give way late in the movie to some serious drama. RED LION is not to be missed.

In the 1860's Japan was facing great political change. The 300 year rule of the Shogunate was changing hands for the new Imperial Japan. A time of revolution and war. This is the setting of Red Lion, a film which equally balances drama, slapstick humor, romance, and a decent amount of bloody samurai action.

Mifune Toshiro plays Gonzo, a former peasant and current member of the Imperial Restoration Force, who one day convinces his commanding officer to borrow his red lion wig so he can ride to his hometown village to prepare the residents for the coming of the new Imperialism. Once there he finds things are not as easy as they seemed. In order to collect land taxes owed to the Shounate, the deputy official has began taking wives and children as forms of payment. On top of that, there's an underground still fiercely devoted to the Shogunate rule. Gonzo becomes ensnared in the treachery between multiple groups as well as the Imperial army, who rule may be just as oppressive as the Shogun's.

Mifune is great (as always) as the stuttering, clumsy Gonzo. His role in Red Lion serves as a great demonstration of his range as an actor. In past films, the majority of Mifune's roles were usually similar. He played the nameless way-ward drifter, serious and also a major bad-ass. While he's still as bad as ever, in Red Lion we get to see the more comedic range of his acting... which he pulls of perfectly. His part is the heart and soul of Red Lion. Although, the film does feature great ensemble acting. In particular, Etsushi Takahashi is great as the cryptically evil Hanzo (a role which traditionally would be more suited for Mifune) and Minori Terada is perfect as the innocent but jaded Sanji.

One of the film's strong points is that it's not predictable. I was surprised by some of the twists in the plot. After watching so many samurai films the formula tends to get repetitive. Red Lion is not a film that follows suit; friends become enemies, enemies become friends, and allegiance's are questioned, all in ways that are a surprise to the viewer and which resolve in a way that is quite unexpected but pleasing.

The comedic aspect of the film works quite well (in most cases) and I found myself continually smiling and occasionally laughing. Some viewers may not find Red Lion funny because the humor is distinctly Japanese. But those familiar with Japanese cinema-in particular Toshiro-will find Mifune's performance as Gonzo hysterical.

Red Lion's score, direction, and cinematography are typical of the genre. Beautifully filmed landscapes, intricately detailed sets and costumes, and of course a loud stirring score. Okamot Kihachi's direction is spot on, and coexists perfectly with the performances. There really aren't any major faults with this film, and it's an all around good time.

Although, Red Lion is one of Okamoto Kihachi's masterpieces it has it's share of small faults. Some of the humor seems a bit forced and a few of the dramatic scenes are a bit overdone, though most of it works very well. That being said the last thirty minutes of this film are incredible, and redeem any minor faults of the first hour and a half.

Bottom Line- Mifune and Okamoto team up for an incredibly fun two hours. Red Lion a masterpiece of 60's Japanese cinema and is simultaneously funny, sad, unpredictable, and altogether a damn good time.

Check out the previous comment for more complete information on the historical aspects of Red Lion - he obviously knows a lot about it, and I found it very useful to read that right after I finished watching the film.

All I can say for sure about this film, though, is that I loved it. It's enormously entertaining! First off, it's hilarious. One doesn't generally think of Toshiro Mifune as a comic actor (although there are comic elements in his characters in Rashomon and The Seven Samurai),but he's quite funny here. It's not a humor that many Americans could appreciate, though. It's very Japanese. If you're a fan of anime or video games, the humor will be recognizable. Second, it's exciting. I love Okamoto's Sword of Doom, and the action sequences in Red Lion are equal. It's actually a little more action-oriented than that film, which is more suspense-oriented. And, third, it's dramatically effective. Gonzo (Toshiro Mifune) starts off the film as a comic character, but by the end he grows into a hero of great stature. The color cinematography of Red Lion is also very beautiful. 10/10.