The plot is relatively simple. A wanderer comes into a town split by rival gang factions. He keeps himself outside the action and plays them against each other, eliminating both elements and freeing the town. Sound familiar? It was remade as Fistful of Dollars by Sergio Leone, starring a then-up-and-comer named Clint Eastwood. Ring any bells? ;)
The story is actually based on a Dashiell Hammitt story "Red Harvest," published in 1929 with an American P.I. as the lead. In Kurosawa's version, the story is set in medieval Japan, and the wanderer is a ronin, a samurai without a master to serve. He's really rather an anti-hero. At the beginning especially, the ronin seems out for all he can take. You don't see how he's setting them against each other, just how he's trying to sell himself as a sword-for-hire to the highest bidder. Toshiro Mifune is wonderful as the ronin. Steals almost every scene he's in! You never really know how heroic the ronin is, or if it's all a game to him because he was bored. He just seems so amused by all that's happening in the town. And Mifune is one of the best at the scruffy, anti-hero, too-cool-for-words sort of character! His expressions are priceless, and he has a presence that is felt throughout the movie. It's so hard to imagine anyone else in that role. Mifune worked with Kurosawa on many movies, and they made a great pair.
Kurosawa created a great action movie, with surprisingly little action. The movie has a lot of build-up and suspense, leading up to the important action, which take up relatively little screen time. There's a lot of dark humor, and the result is a highly entertaining film. If you don't like subtitles, deal with it - this movie is worth seeing!
Like a lot of Kurosawa's films, Yojimbo influenced a lot of other movie makers. Watching this movie, set in medieval Japan, complete with Japanese sentiments and culturalisms, you can still see how easily it translated to an American Western. The deserted street scenes, dust blowing on the wind as scared townsfolk shut their doors and windows while the duelists gather... Just in Kurosawa's version, the duelists carry swords, not six-shooters. :)
Overall: 5 of 5. If you've never seen a Kurosawa movie, this is the one to start with. (The Seven Samurai, also starring Mifune, is excellent as well, but very long). Highly entertaining on it's own, and a must for movie buffs.
Kurosawa created a great action movie, with surprisingly little action. The movie has a lot of build-up and suspense, leading up to the important action, which take up relatively little screen time. There's a lot of dark humor, and the result is a highly entertaining film. If you don't like subtitles, deal with it - this movie is worth seeing!
Like a lot of Kurosawa's films, Yojimbo influenced a lot of other movie makers. Watching this movie, set in medieval Japan, complete with Japanese sentiments and culturalisms, you can still see how easily it translated to an American Western. The deserted street scenes, dust blowing on the wind as scared townsfolk shut their doors and windows while the duelists gather... Just in Kurosawa's version, the duelists carry swords, not six-shooters. :)
Overall: 5 of 5. If you've never seen a Kurosawa movie, this is the one to start with. (The Seven Samurai, also starring Mifune, is excellent as well, but very long). Highly entertaining on it's own, and a must for movie buffs.
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