ironhorse_iv Review of Yojimbo

Yojimbo (1961)

Director Akira Kurisowa's Yojimbo is a masterpiece. Yojimbo is still pretty sharp.

[9/10 · 17 February 2015]

Loosely based on Dashiell Hammett's western novel Red Harvest and Glass Key. This jidaigeki (period drama film), tells the story of an unnamed ronin (Toshiro Mifune), who arrives in a small town in 1860 Japan, where competing crime lords, Seibei, the Brothel Owner (Seizaburô Kawazu) and Ushitora, the Arms Dealer (Tatsuya Nakadai) fight each other for supremacy. The two bosses each try to hire the deadly newcomer as a yojimbo AKA bodyguard, but the unnamed ronin has a secret plan to get rid of both of them, by playing both rivals against each other in the hope that they will wipe each other out, faster than ever. Without spoiling too much of it, this movie is a great Samurai film, that is worth the watch only. The movie is beautiful shot. Director Akira Kurosawa's films are notable for being stunning visually, with beautiful backgrounds, sometimes verging on Scenery Porn. This movie might not have much of the Japanese landscape in the background, but it made great use of the set, and the weather. The way, he know how to use actors in a wide screen frame is amazing. He place actors in the foreground. Middle ground in the left or right. Sharp focus. Director John Ford type of a style. He use the shutters and doors, well on the Japanese set to reset shots so dynamically. Without cutting the shutters and door, create a look of comic book panels, frame by frame. Like in most Kurosawa films, rainy weather is present in a few scenes, increasing the effect of the characters' discomfort making emotional seem real. The windy weather all throughout the film represents the chaotic life in the town. The wind blowing while Yojimbo walks inspired many Japanese Animes and films. Kurosawa originated a lot of film techniques that are still being used today. A form of cinematic punctuation very strongly identified with Kurosawa is the wipe as a transitional device. It is used as a substitute for the straight cut or the dissolve. Yojimbo had great pan-focus shots, because they were crucial to the action. Action shot with a few long shots. It's way different than how action is film, today. This is one reason this movie stands the test of time so well. One thing that the movie does so well is editing. Kurosawa was a master in that. He was so good and quick, that Yojimbo had its Japanese premiere on four days after shooting concluded. Still, the movie does have some problems, as its jump back and forth between drama and comedy. It's a bit jarring at times. Most of the humor were hits than miss. I love the look of Sanjuro AKA Yojimbo's face when he sees the dog carrying the sever hand. The violence and gore was pretty intense, at times. It's weird to see, bloody limps being chop off in an early 1960s film, seeing how strict, Japanese censors were, at the time. The cycles of violence in this film is a lot tamer than that of 1954 Seven Samurai. Yojimbo's script is pretty good, but it lacks the intellectual challenge of 1950's Rashomon, the moral resonance of 1952's Ikiru, and the sweeping grandeur of Seven Samurai. He made a couple of great samurai films, but after seeing several of them, they get to be a bit repetitive. Most of the villains are forgettable. They are two-dimensional comically idiots without a shred of redeeming humanity thought. Kurosawa told Tatsuya Nakadai that his character was a snake, so Nakadai moves very snake-like. It didn't help, as his character has little to no personality at all. I just know him, as the man with the creepy smile, snake motion and the gun. The supporting characters, he helps out aren't memorable. I was really hoping more from the old undertaker and his family. Toshiro Mifune as the main lead was great. He's not only one of the greatest Japanese actors of all-time, but is one of the greatest actors of all-time period. Toshiro Mifune is a great actor, capable of great range and subtlety of expression. A complete badass, and everybody comes to realize this very quickly. He was able to perform, the way, the director wanted to. Akira Kurosawa told Toshiro Mifune to act like a stray dog, which is why he twitches his shoulders and scratches himself a lot during the film. The character of Sanjiro can be viewed as an early example of the "Man with No Name" because he made the name up at the shot. Kurosawa was often criticized by his countrymen for perceived "arrogant" behavior, and you see that in this character. In many ways, the main lead character mirrors Kurosawa at the time. Claims of personal arrogance and harsh treatment of colleagues were often, said about the director. He could even sometimes be hard on seasoned, highly respected film professionals. During the filming of this, he lost his temper with one of Japan's preeminent cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa. He was often, very tiresome, during filming. This movie would be, one of his last best influencing films. Still, it's been years since this movie first came out, but it's still influencing how films are made today. In 1964, Yojimbo was remade as Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars, a Spaghetti Western starring Clint Eastwood as the Man with No Name. Leone and his production company failed to secure the remake rights to Kurosawa's film, resulting in a lawsuit that delayed the western release for three years. The movie influenced a lot of other movies in the west over time like 1996's Walter Hill gangster film, "Last Man Standing" and others. The movie even got a sequel, 1962's Sanjuro. The music from this film by Masaru Satô is very powerful to listen to. It's often use in other films and trailers. The film is easy to find. Try to get the Criterion Collection for the best value, just note that there is no English dubbing. Overall: It's a must-watch. Will Recommended.