Yojimbo Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Yojimbo
Year: 1961
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese

While Rashomon (1950) was Akira Kurosawa's most popular film in the East, Yojimbo (1961) was his most popular film in the West. It deliberately combines the traditional samurai story with the American Western, so that any of the characters could have stemmed from John Ford's filmography. Ironically Yojimbo would inspire the West to create a whole new sub-genre called "Spaghetti Western" which would launch the careers of Clint Eastwood and many others.

Sanjuro (Toshiro Mifune) is a wandering samurai who enters a rural town in nineteenth century Japan. After learning from the innkeeper that the town is divided between two gangsters, he plays one side off against the other.

Despite the homage to the Western, Akira Kurosawa's protagonist is the anti-John Wayne.  He does not fit the handsome, clean-cut, peaceful and righteous hero nor does he have much grace in combat situations. He is a wandering samurai  with no class, and no loyalty to either side. His amorality is so complex that even a decent deed seems shocking. In Yojimbo there are no "good" guys, only bad. The characters act like gangsters rather than classic outlaws. 

Kurosawa infuses dark humor into this drama, and even embraces some slapstick. The great choreography is used as a joke, whereas the astonishing photography increases the tension. The widescreen creates great dramatic compositions; both armies face each other across empty space, fearful eyes gather an uncertain view of impending danger. The violence in Yojimbo is well managed; either happening offscreen or in the blink of an eye, which makes for an unsettling atmosphere.

In conclusion, though Yojimbo lacks an intellectual or moral challenge like the majority of his films do, it certainly is an unforgettable film that certainly has changed the world of Cinema. Though Toshiro Mifune was already a star by the 1950's, this catapulted his career to new heights. Praise it! 5/5