Takashi Shimura began his career playing villains or fools in many prewar films. His first major performance in Akira Kurosawa's Sugata Sanshiro began his ascendancy as one of Japan's most skillful and distinctive actors. Although he worked in numerous genres throughout his career, he is most often associated with Kurosawa's films, becoming an indispensible partner with him for 30 years.
Shimura's first starring role was as the alcoholic ghetto doctor of Drunken Angel. He attempts to save the life of a reckless gangster, played by Toshiro Mifune, who suffers from tuberculosis. Their performances, showing strength beneath human frailty, depicted opposing attitudes towards the confusion of optimism and despair in post-war Japan. Shamiru continued to play characters with paternal relationships to the younger Mifune: in The Quiet Duel as a doctor who encourages his son to follow his profession; in Stray Dog as an older detective paired with a rookie; and in Seven Samurai as the leader of a group of samurai which includes Mifune.
Two of Shimura's most impressive roles were as a villainous lawyer who awakens to the meaning of justice in Scandal and as a middle-aged bureaucrat in Ikiru. Learning he has terminal cancer, Shimura's character wishes to redeem his egocentric life by building a children's park. The dramatic change of this ordinary businessman as he wavers between hope and disillusionment became Shimura's screen monument.
— Kyoko Hirano
Trivia
One of the few actors to reprise a role in the Godzilla (Gojira (1954)) series. He reprised his role of Doctor Yemane in Gojira no gyakushû (1955) (aka Godzilla's Counterattack or Gigatis: the Fire Monster).
Although he was not Akira Kurosawa's best-known actor ('Toshiro Mifune' had this honor), Shimura appeared in more Kurosawa films than Mifune, totaling 19. However, (especially in later years) many of his characters had smaller, supporting roles.
One of the most versatile character actors in the world cinema, he believably played the weak, timid and elderly clerk Watanabe in Ikiru (1952) and then, also believably, two years later played the powerful, tough and skillful samurai Shimada, the leader of the title, in Shichinin no samurai (1954).
Filmography
As an actor:
1981 Nihon Philharmonic Orchestra: Honoo no dai gogakusho
1980 Kagemusha
1980 A un
1980 Tempyo no iraka
1980 Dôran
1978 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Uwasa no Torajirô
1978 Ogin-sama
1977 Godzilla
1976 Zoku ningen kakumei
1975 Shinkansen daibakuha
1974 Nosutoradamusu no daiyogen
1974 Ranru no hata
1974 Karei-naru ichizoku
1974 Karajishi keisatsu
1973 Shin Zatôichi monogatari: Kasama no chimatsuri
1972 Gokudo makari touru
1971 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro koiuta
1971 Gokuaku bozu - Nomu utsu kau
1971 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro renka
1970 Gekido no showashi 'Gunbatsu'
1969 Otoko wa tsurai yo
1969 Fûrin kazan
1969 Nihon boryoku-dan: kumicho to shikaku
1969 Shôwa zankyô-den: Karajishi jingi
1968 Gion matsuri
1968 Zatôichi hatashi-jô
1968 Botan-dôrô
1968 Chikadô no taiyô made
1968 Sangyo supai
1968 Onna tobakushi amadera kaichô
1968 Gendai yakuza: yotamono no okite
1967 Gyangu no teiô
1967 Nihon no ichiban nagai hi
1967 Satogashi ga kowareru toki
1966 Zesshô
1966 Kaerazeru hatoba
1966 Bangkok no yoru
1966 Noren ichidai: jôkyô
1965 Buraikan jingi
1965 Furankenshutain tai chitei kaijû Baragon
1965 Taiheiyo kiseki no sakusen: Kisuka
1965 Sugata Sanshiro
1965 Akahige
1965 Samurai
1965 Matatabi san ning yakuza
1965 Kono koe naki sakebi
1964 Kaidan
1964 San daikaijû: Chikyû saidai no kessen
1964 Tensai sagishi monogatari: Tameki no hanamichi
1964 Aku no monsho
1964 Chi to daiyamondo
1963 Tsukiyo no wataridori
1963 Dai tozoku
1963 Taiyô wa yondeiru
1963 Tengoku to jigoku as Chief of Investigation Section
1963 Taiheiyo no tsubasa
1962 Chûshingura
1962 Kujira gami
1962 Kurenai no sora
1962 Yôsei Gorasu
1962 Long Way to Okinawa
1962 Zoku sararîman shimizu minato
1962 Tsubaki Sanjûrô
1961 Futari no musuko
1961 Kuroi gashû dainibu: Kanryû
1961 Mosura
1961 Ai to honoho to
1961 Yôjinbô
1961 Zoku sararîman Chûshingura
1961 Harekosode
1961 Ôsaka-jô monogatari
1960 Sararîman Chûshingura
1960 Gambare! Bangaku
1960 Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru as Administrative Officer Moriyama
1960 Otoko tai otoko
1960 Yoru no nagare
1960 Hawai Middouei daikaikusen: Taiheiyo no arashi
1960 Karakkaze yarô
1960 Sen-hime goten
1959 Nippon tanjo
1959 Kagero ezu
1959 Sengoku gunto-den
1959 Taiyô ni somuku mono
1959 Aru kengo no shogai
1959 Kotan no kuchibue
1959 Tetsuwan toshu inao monogatari
1959 Beran me-e geisha
1959 Shobushi to sono musume
1959 Sora kakeru hanayome
1958 Kakushi-toride no san-akunin as The Old General, Izumi Nagakura
1958 Jinsei gekijô - Seishun hen
1958 Ten to sen
1958 Chûshingura
1958 Nichiren to moko daishurai
1957 Chikyû Bôeigun as Dr. Tanjiro Adachi
1957 Dotanba
1957 Zoku aoi sanmyaku Yukiko no maki
1957 Aoi sanmyaku Shinko no maki
1957 Yuunagi
1957 Kiken na eiyu
1957 Bôkyaku no hanabira: Kanketsuhen
1957 Arakure
1957 Sanjûrokunin no jôkyaku
1957 Kono futari ni sachi are
1957 Yama to kawa no aru machi
1957 Kumonosu-jô as Noriyasu Odagura
1957 Bôkyaku no hanabira
1957 Ohtori-jo hanayome
1956 Narazu-mono
1956 Godzilla, King of the Monsters! as Dr. Kyohei Yamane
1956 Ankokugai
1956 Kyatsu o nigasuna
1956 Wakai ki
1956 Shin, Heike monogatari: Yoshinaka o meguru sannin no onna
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