Yojimbo

[Batutta]

I just watched this again and felt I had to post in praise of this masterpiece from Akira Kurosawa. The criterion blu-ray is a flawless transfer and a beauty to behold. I may have to put this film in my top ten. Seven Samurai may be the 'greater' film but Yojimbo is flat out more entertaining. The story may feel familiar to those whose have seen A Fistful Of Dollars, because it is indeed the same exact story. Leone shamelessly palgarized it (and made a good film as well), and ended up having to acknowledge his debt to Kurosawa. A wandering Samurai walks into a town being ripped apart by two warring clans and sticks himself right in the middle, getting the two sides to destroy each other. The Samurai is of course Toshiro Mifune, playing one of the greatest screen badasses of all time.

He's a taciturn, wily, and quietly hilarious character who I think was the prototype for the modern anti-hero. The film is also filled with dozens of other great faces and characters whom all make a distinct mark.

This is a great film to watch to study composition and editing. Kurosawa rarely re-uses a shot. Every shot tells a precise story, and is as long or as short as it needs to be to make its point before moving on to a new composition. Master shot, close-up, reverse? You won't find any of that stale nonsense here. And this movie is 50 years old. The score is also pretty great. You'll be humming the swaggering, main hero theme for days after watching it.

Highly recommended viewing, especially in the awesome blu-ray transfer. The film was also mixed in an early version of stereo so it will fill your speakers nicely. Here are a few more screenshots of this masterpiece--

 

[S. Matthews]

every Kurosawa film is amazing (well most)....

stray dog
Ikiru
Ran
Rashomon
hidden fortress
Sanjuro

these are just my favorites but every filmmaker should see his work it's fabulous.

 

[Rashdan]

Awesome film. Fistful of Dollars copied Yojimbo, and Yojimbo copied the Glass Key. I haven't seen a Kurosawa film that wasn't engaging. Even his worst film is better that most films.

 

[chriscurl]

Don't forget that Sanjuro is the "sequel", both are on Netflix streaming.

 

[Batutta]

Fistful of Dollars copied Yojimbo, and Yojimbo copied the Glass Key.

Yojimbo's lifts from Glass Key were minor story details. The plots are quite different. Fistful of Dollars was practically a scene for scene remake, even using some of the same dialogue. Sanjuro is great too but I haven't seen it in a long time. Will have to watch it again.

 

[Batutta]

Just wanted to add the blu-ray has a nice 45 minute making of documentary on the film. There is a hilarious story about how the focus puller had to work once using wires attached to his toes and teeth, hitting marks from memory. That focus puller is a god.