Review of Yojimbo (1961) by Christophe M — 11 May 2010

Take the popular Story archtype from the medieval epic, the Poema del Cid, inject it with a hard dose of individualism, ( i.e , take the plot from Dashiel Hammett's 1929 novel Red Harvest), and place it in a feudal Japan setting. And there you have the story of Yojimbo.

In other words, this is the story of a masterless samurai or ronin entering a village which is disputed by two rival families, and playing both sides against each other, brings both families down. Thus, through chaos and disorder and his own machinations, he topples the feuding enteties, bringing a new order to the village.

This film was re-made (rather faithfully) into the western A FIst Full of Dollars by Sergio Leone, with Clint Eastwood as the star.

Essentially the same story type is used in Last Man Standing (starring Bruce Willis) and the Coen Brother's Miller's Crossing, among others.

What sets this film apart (besides having been made first) is the superb direction of Akira Kurasawa and the cold, calculating performance of Toshiru Mifune.

Also, this film has an excellent, though sparse, soundtrack. Sanjuro's character theme is one of the most memorable in all of films.