Muhomatsu, the Rickshaw Man (1958)

 Hiroshi Inagaki's "Muhomatsu, the Rickshaw Man"

After Hiroshi Inagaki completed his "Samurai" trilogy, he reteamed with iconic Japanese actor Toshiro Mafune for 1958's "Muhomatsu, the Rickshaw Man." The film centers on a lowly rickshaw man who becomes a an important influence on the lives of a widowed mother and her young son after the death of the patriarch. Throughout the film, the titular rickshaw man named Matsugoro, continues to act selflessly in pursuit of benefiting this family in need.

To me, the driving drama of the film stems from Matsugoro's deep-seated desire to be something more than just a simple rickshaw man. He is quite an impressive man, as demonstrated by his ability to race, fight, and play drums. However, throughout the film, he is never able to overcome this simpleton moniker placed upon him by societal circumstances. His parental guidance towards the young boy seems like an attempt to steer him away from such fates.

While I did find the film enjoyable, there wasn't as much palpable emotionality that could have been utilized with such a story. That being said, it was a decent watch and another spectacularly versatile performance from Mafune. This, on top of Inagaki's impeccable color filmmaking made "Muhomatsu, the Ricksaw Man" a great film from 1950s Japanese cinema.