Yôjinbô (1961)
Genre: Drama / Action
Duration: 110 minuten
Alternative titles: Yojimbo / The Bodyguard / Yojimbo the Bodyguard / 用心棒
Country:
Japan
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai and Eijirô Tôno
IMDb score:
8,2 (137.581)
Releasedate: 25 April 1961
Yôjinbô plot
"Kill one or a hundred... you only hang once"
The samurai Sanjuro travels to a village in nineteenth-century Japan. Here he notices that the village is divided between two gangsters. He decides to play the two sides off against each other. However, his efforts are hampered by the arrival of Unosuke, the son of one of the mobsters, who is in possession of a revolver.
Actors and actresses
Sanjuro Kuwabatake / The Samurai
Unosuke, gunfighter
Nui
Orin
Inokichi
Seibê - brothel operator
Tokuemon, sake brewer
Yoichiro
Kohei's Son
Gonji, Tavern Keeper
Reviews & comments
Sir Djuke
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- 349 messages
- 970 votes
Kurosawa's 'Yojimbo' may be a samurai film, but from the present point of view it has all the hallmarks of a western. This is mainly because Sergio Leone used the style and storyline of 'Yojimbo' in 'A Fistful Of Dollars' in particular, but not only there. The lone warrior acts against evil on both sides of the lines. The violence in 'Yojimbo' is explicit and a clear source of inspiration for Tarantino. Kuroswawa occasionally provides a funny ironic joke for the lighting.
Translated from Dutch · View original
mjk87 (moderator films)
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- 14019 messages
- 4265 votes
Kurosawa's western, with which he proves that a western is mainly a certain genre in terms of style, but is not tied to the location around the American frontier, or even the also Anglophone Australian outback. No, also a village of god and everyone abandoned in 19th century Japan is an excellent location.
In terms of content, all this means very little. The rival groups are apparently into gambling, but from whom do they make their money? But you shouldn't ask those kinds of questions. What is particularly striking is the use of images, especially the filling of the wide cinema format. Often with the two groups separated from each other on either side of the wide picture. Very strongly done. The supporting soundtrack is also nice (I saw a clip somewhere with the soundtrack from Leone's western, only then you see how much this film has become a blueprint).
Leone based his first western on this, but it is also clear where Eastwood got the mustard from. He looked very closely at Mifune. Yes, Mifune, who I mainly know from exuberant roles, plays a silent role here and with his charisma alone and that combination with that modesty, he carries the film with ease. I was captivated by him throughout the movie.
The film isn't always that strong, I didn't always find motives for acting that clear and I feel like the film is just a bit too long. But as a whole this is quite sufficient. A film that stayed with me after seeing it and I feel like it just got better and better. Due to the feeling rounded up 4.0*.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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