The Rickshaw Man (1958)

If you only know Mifune as a sword, this is the film that will surprise you. He plays Matsu, a gruff, hard-drinking rickshaw puller who becomes a devoted protector to a widow's young son, and the swagger slowly gives way to a tenderness he can never say out loud. Inagaki was remaking his own 1943 version, this time in widescreen color, and it took the top prize at the Venice Film Festival. The scene where Matsu takes over a huge taiko drum and wows the crowd with a revered old rhythm is pure Mifune, all muscle and joy.