Review of Yojimbo (1961) by Mark D — 23 Nov 2010
Yojimbo is one of director Akira Kurosawa's most highly regarded works, as well as one of the most important films for not only the Samurai genre, but also the Spaghetti Western genre, providing the blueprint for Sergio Leone's near shot-for-shot remake with Clint Eastwood, entitled A Fistfull of Dollars.
An archetypal story about a lone warrior who arrives at a small town where two rival gangs plague the streets with violence and death, and decides to play the two sides against each other with the hopes of destroying both and saving the town.
Toshiro Mifune plays the lead role of the samurai with a sense of nonchalance and lazy charisma that is truly captivating, paving the way for Eastwood who would appropriate some of these traits into his "Man with No Name" character.
Kurosawa's distinctive eye for visual texture is present and remains captivating, as does his shockingly quick and brutal presentation of violence. Despite falling just short of some of his other masterworks, Yojimbo is one of Kurosawa's best films, and one of the milestones of cinema in the early '60s.
This review of Yojimbo (1961) was written by Mark D on 23 Nov 2010.
Yojimbo has generally received very positive reviews.
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