Japan's Longest Day (1967)

No sword in sight, and one of his most commanding turns. Okamoto dramatizes the hours in August 1945 when Japan's cabinet argued over surrender and young officers attempted a coup to stop the Emperor's recorded broadcast. Mifune plays War Minister Korechika Anami, torn between the army's pride and the reality of defeat. It is a large ensemble piece written by Kurosawa's regular screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto, but Mifune anchors it, and his final scene as Anami is haunting. Best for viewers who like history told as a ticking clock.