Legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa frequently borrowed western themes for his movies, which in turn became the basis for western adaptations. A good example of this mutually beneficial cultural exchange is Yojimbo. The setting and story is similar to that of an American western, with Japanese equivalents substituted for gunmen, sheriffs, taverns and showdowns in the dusty streets.
The success of Yojimbo bred imitations in the west. The first was A Fistful of Dollars (1964), the initial entry in Clint Eastwood's western trilogy with Italian director Sergio Leone. Less notable was Last Man Standing (1996), the remake starring Bruce Willis.
It is the year 1860. The fall of the Japanese Shogunate dynasty has led to the unemployment of samurai. One of them is Sanjuro (Toshiro Mifune), who wanders poor and hungry into a small town. He learns from bitter but compassionate Gonji (Eijiro Tono) that the town is divided by two rival families, who each have hired criminal gangs to do the other in. This arrangement is for the benefit of both Sanjuro and the local coffin maker (Atsushi Watanabe).
Learning that both sides are equally despicable, Sanjuro decides to play them off against each other. After killing three of Ushi-Tora's men to demonstrate his worth, he is hired by Seibei (Seizaburo Kawazu) for 50 ryo. A battle is planned against Ushi-Tora (Kyu Sazanka). Seibei's wife Orin (Isuzu Yamada) plots to murder Sanjuro after the battle to recover the payment. Sanjuro overhears this, and quits on the day of the battle.
The impending arrival of a government official prevents a bloodbath between the two factions. Sanjuro learns that a beautiful woman, Nui (Yoko Tsukasa), has been kidnapped by Tokuemon (Takashi Shimura). Tokuemon is a sake brewer in league with Ushi-Tora. Nui has a husband (Yoshio Tsuchiya) and a young son (Yosuke Natsuki). Sanjuro schemes to free Nui, which rouses the suspicions of treacherous, gun-wielding Unosuke (Tatsuya Nakadai). Unosuke is Ushi-Tora's brother, as is rotund, jovial Ino (Daisuke Kato).
Kurosawa, of course, is one of the greatest directors of all time. His films are consistently of very high quality. Yojimbo is a very good film, but it is not up to the standards of his best films. Sanjuro's swordsmanship, survival ability, and heroism take on mythic proportions, losing some credibility along the way. The supporting characters lack the depth found in The Seven Samurai (1954) or Ran (1985). Yojimbo also varies between drama and comedy, betraying some indecision on the part of Kurosawa. Compare with Throne of Blood (1957), where the humor is strictly ironical.
But Yojimbo does have excellent cinematography, a unique, interesting score, and an entertaining story. And perhaps no film better showcases the talents of Toshiro Mifune, who may be the greatest of all Japanese actors. (71/100)
Action - general DVD - Toshiro Mifune portrays a Samurai who finds himself in the middle of a feud-torn Japanese village. Neither side is particularly...More at Barnes and Noble
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