Review of Yojimbo (1961) by Tim H — 16 Apr 2008

I thought I reviewed this movie before. My fickle memory.

Okay, it's my birthday (officially) and I really should be watching a movie rather than talking about movies and reviewing them. But people will be over on Saturday, so I feel like I should have a clean wipe board for when people show up. I've seen this movie before, so it is really great coming at this film for a second viewing.

This might be the coolest samurai movie I've ever seen. Jody showed it for her birthday last week with Fistful of Dollars (good pick, right?) and I just love that story. It's Ocean's Eleven if it was about killing and there's only one dude. The real thing that locks this movie in the history of cool is the score. It's got this really hip sound to it that just screams badass. Pair that up with Toshiro Mifune (in his best role by far) and you have a great series. While I love Sanjuro as well, this story is far more straightforward and accessible. I haven't seen the other, non-Kurosawa films in the franchise, but I might get around to them somtime. Kurosawa, once again, knows how to tell a story. He's got these eccentric characters paired up with these morally grounded people. Honestly, I don't see how this movie could get better. I was excited that I was about to catch it again at Jody's. While perhaps not having the most content, it is one of Kurosawa's better films...and that's saying a lot because I love a ton of his other movies.

I have to point out the inclusion of the coffin maker as a thematic choice. Fistful of Dollars uses the same device to tell the same message, but it really is a powerful decision. I mean, this is a really corrupt town and it seems almost foolish that this honorable-yet-badass samurai would want to do anything about this town. But it reminds me about that biblical tale of God sparing a city for one man. While there's more than one decent person in this town, you can't help but make the comparison.