Review of Yojimbo (1961) by Sherry M — 15 Jul 2010
One of the GREATEST samurai films ever by one of THE best filmmakers of all time, Akira Kurosawa. Bleak, dark, and violent for its time. Yojimbo tells the story of a drifting samurai who arrives in a very small and desolate town that has nearly fallen apart thanks to two rival gangs that are battling each other for supremacy over the town.
Calm, cool, and collected, Yojimbo (who is played brilliantly by the hypnotic Toshiro Mifune) uses his crafty techniques to help the side with the highest bid, but then continue to help the other side, drawing these two gangs closer and closer to the brink of destruction in an effort to save the town.
They tried to remake this masterpiece with the ill-fated Bruce Willis film Last Man Standing that had the action, but none of the heart of the original Yojimbo. Plenty of action and comedy mixed into this beautifully crafted story.
Mifune is absolutely brilliant and a joy to watch. This film is really awesome and I'd advise any fans of samurai films, or films period, to check it out. Utter perfection in filmmaking. Followed by the equally amazing Sanjuro.
This review of Yojimbo (1961) was written by Sherry M on 15 Jul 2010.
Yojimbo has generally received very positive reviews.
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