It stars toshiro mifune as a nameless ronin, masterless samurai. Set at the end of the tokugawa era, yojimbo follows the ronin sanjuro toshiro mifune who, while wandering the countryside, happens upon a village over which two clans wage war. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Music from the soundtrack of yojimbo 1961 by masaru sato.
Toshiro mifune portrays a samurai who finds himself in the middle of a feudtorn japanese village. Directed by 1 writing credits 3 cast 52 produced by 3 music by 1 cinematography by 1 film editing by 1 production design by 1 costume design by 1 makeup department 2 production management 1 second unit director or assistant director 2. The difference is that fistful relies on eastwood for its success, whereas yojimbo scores on every creative level, from director akira kurosawa to cinematographer kazuo miyagawa to. The story is so ideally interesting that its surprising no one else ever thought of it. A somewhat happygolucky bunch of brits in a german pow camp find their new acerbic fellow prisoner is a key officer who must be got out at all cost. The film s story has inspired several westernproduced remakes including a fistful of dollars, quelli che contano, django, last man standing, lucky number slevin and sukiyaki western django. The bodyguard japanese action film, released in 1961, that was cowritten and directed by kurosawa akira. Sensing an opportunity, the ronin wiles his way into the conflict with the goal of killing both sides and extorting what he can from the clans in the process. Far from being just another vehicle for mifune, this belongs in that select group of films noirs which are also comedies. Yojimbo begins with a master less samurai, also known as a ronin, wandering the japanese countryside. This film is derived from dashiell hammetts novel red harvest, which was set in a corrupt town in montana. If i had to choose only one movie for film students to learn from, this would be it.
Picture quality is typically outstanding, up to criterions gold standard. Yojimbo akira kurosawa japan classic internet archive. After akira kurosawas yojimbo was released in 1961, the samurai film would never be the same. It was inspired by dashiell hammett s detective novels, including red harvest 1929 and the glass key 1931, and was patterned after american westerns, especially the lonehero films of john ford. Overview of yojimbo, 1961, directed by akira kurosawa, with toshiro mifune, eijiro tono, seizaburo kawazu, at turner classic movies. Despite a warning to move on, he uses the fact that both sides seek his skills as a swordsman to his advantage, as he believes the town would be better without either side. Jun 05, 20 yojimbo soundtrack from 1961, composed by masaru sato. Yojimbo is possibly akira kurosawas bestknown film in the west, a samurai swordfighting movie that, though entirely japanese, still resonates nicely for americans used to their own period gunfighting film genre, the western, the grammar of which kurosawa learned from john ford, just as sergio leone and clint eastwood in turn learned from. As effortlessly engaging as it is widely influential, yojimbo represents. It tells the story of a ronin, portrayed by toshiro mifune, who arrives in a small town where competing crime lords vie for supremacy. Yojimbo soundtrack from 1961, composed by masaru sato. Thanks to perhaps the most indelible character in akira kurosawas oeuvre, yojimbo surpassed even seven samurai in popularity when it was released. Since kurosawa now had his own production company, there wasnt. The films story has inspired several westernproduced remakes including a fistful of dollars, quelli che contano, django, last man standing, lucky number slevin and sukiyaki western django.
Akira kurosawas masterpiece about a lawless samurai was both influenced by, and gave cues, to american westerns. Apr 26, 2020 sergio leone, italian motionpicture director known primarily for his popularization of the spaghetti western, a subgenre of movies that were made in italy but set in the 19thcentury american west. Yojimbo, who is a nameless masterless samurai, portrayed by toshiro mifune, arrives in a small town where two corrupt. Yojimbo, yojinbo is a 1961 japanese samurai film directed by akira kurosawa. Other films may be more profound, or their imagery more groundbreaking, but this. It tells the story of a ronin, portrayed by toshiro mifune, who arrives in a small town.
Despite a warning to move on, he uses the fact that both sides seek his skills as a swordsman to his advantage, as he believes the town would be better without either. It tells the story of a ronin, portrayed by toshiro mifune, who arrives in a small town, where competing crime lords make their money from gambling. Feb 11, 20 yojimbo 1961 kurosawa had wanted to do a film like yojimbo for a long time. Yojimbo 1961 kurosawa had wanted to do a film like yojimbo for a long time. With james robertson justice, leslie phillips, stanley baxter, eric sykes. Posted by charles silver, curator, department of film. Yojimbo yojinbo, meaning bodyguard is a 1961 jidai geki film directed by akira kurosawa, loosely based on dashiell hammetts novel red harvest.
Sergio leone, born january 3, 1929, rome, italydied april 30, 1989, rome, italian motionpicture director who was known primarily for his popularization of the spaghetti western, a subgenre of movies that were made in italy but set in the 19thcentury american west the son of a film industry pioneer and an actress, leone became involved in italian filmmaking at an early age. Yojimbo akira kurosawa 1961 imagine an adult thug who comes upon a group of warring 12yearolds who are split up into two rival gangs. Cinema is perspective and here sanjuro is our center, our conscious, our. He finally settled on a story clearly inspired by dashiell hammets red harvest and the glass key. The difference is that fistful relies on eastwood for its success, whereas yojimbo scores on every creative level, from director akira kurosawa to cinematographer kazuo miyagawa to mifunes classic lead performance. Yojimbo, yojinbo, bodyguard is a 1961 japanese samurai film directed by akira kurosawa. He discovers via the local innkeeper that the town is split by two. Nov 15, 2016 toho company released yojimbo to theaters on september, 1961. Remade twice, by sergio leone and walter hill, this exhilarating genretwister remains one of the most influential and entertaining films of all time.
Comic yarn with toshiro mifune as the devious samurai. From the moment you see toshiro mifunes samurai arrogantly strut into. A samurai, sanjuro kuwabatake, finds himself in a town run by two warlords, ushitora and seibei. No japao do seculo xix, sanjuro toshiro mifune, um samurai errante, entra em uma pequena cidade rural. Yojimbo 1961 akira kurosawa synopsis, characteristics. Yojimbo is both a brilliant reworking of the samurai genre and arguably director akira kurosawas most influential work.
Kurosawa on his innovative cinema the new york times. Toho company released yojimbo to theaters on september, 1961. The strongest, however, is the avant garde critique on a transformative capitalistic society. Jan 19, 2010 to rid a terrorstricken village of corruption, wily masterless samurai sanjuro toshiro mifune turns a range war between two evil clans to his own advantag. The film was released by seneca international in both a subtitled and dubbed format in the united states in september 1961. He was deliberately combining the samurai story with the western, so that the windswept main street could be in any frontier town, the samurai toshiro mifune could be a gunslinger, and the local characters could have been lifted from john fords gallery of supporting actors. Describing this movie as a juggernaut of a film requires an almost criminal amount of understatement. Toshiro mifune portrays a samurai who finds himself in the middle of a. March 23, 1910 september 6, 1998 was a japanese film director and screenwriter, who directed 30 films in a career spanning 57 years. As a side note, one can see the complete inspiration for countless characters. Aug 28, 2009 music from the soundtrack of yojimbo 1961 by masaru sato.
Then in 1961 yojimbo came out, which is considered one of the greatest. Yojimbo full movie 1961 lets join, fullhd moviesseasonepisode here. Yes, yojimbo was the prototype for the clint eastwood man with no name picture a fistful of dollars 1964. Dozens of movies had featured such a character before, but this was a complete change. The first thing that strikes me when rewatching yojimbo is the level of craftsmanship. Like a greek god descending from mount olympus, sanjuro comes upon a village torn asunder by two. Yojimbo, who is a nameless masterless samurai, portrayed by toshiro mifune, arrives in a small town where two corrupt factions or bandits are fighting each other for control. The film still looks its age mostly not a bad thing, though theres a touch of flickering at times, but it is far sharper and clearer in contrast and texture than it has appeared on home video in any. Yojimbo 1961 a nameless ronin, or samurai with no master toshiro mifune, enters a small village in feudal japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. His amorality is so complete that we are a little startled when he. Yojimbo, yojinbo is a 1961 samurai film directed by akira kurosawa. Criterion gives yojimbo its bluray debut in a singledisc edition and as part of a doubleset with its sequel sanjuro. Based on the success of yojimbo, kurosawas next film. Yojimbo trailer 1961 the criterion collection youtube.
An enduring influence on countless films, from sergio leones a fistful of dollars to walter hills last man standing, akira kurosawas scruffy classic stars toshiro mifune as the avenging itinerant samurai. Then in 1961 yojimbo came out, which is considered one of the greatest rogue hero movies ever made. Based on the success of yojimbo, kurosawas next film, sanjuro 1962, was altered to incorporate. A crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town. Yojimbo is a great film, one that boasts an impressive cast of actors, a good script, and well paced, thought out scenes that make this. Cinema is perspective and here sanjuro is our center, our conscious, our outside look into a world dominated by greed. Directed by 1 writing credits 3 cast 52 produced by 3 music by 1 cinematography by 1 film editing by 1 production. More than once, i might add, but its been a while since the last time, so a rewatch is definitely in order. Hammetts satirical critique of capitalism as an absurd form of gang warfare remains one of the most potent examples of how to embed a political message in a fastmoving popular narrative. The masterless samurai sanjuro, who slyly manipulates two warring clans to his own advantage in a small, dusty village, was so entertainingly embodied by the brilliant toshiro mifune that it was only a matter of time before he returned in a sequel.
He discovers via the local innkeeper that the town is split by two warring factions, each headed by powerful gangsters. Toshiro mifune gives the finest performance of his stellar career as sanjuro, a bored, fleabitten, and thoroughly amoral ronin who possesses almost superhuman swordmanship. It notably features only one gun, which plays an important role in the hands of nakadai. To rid a terrorstricken village of corruption, wily masterless samurai sanjuro toshiro mifune turns a range war between two evil clans to his own advantag. For a fistful of dollars titled onscreen as fistful of dollars is a 1964 spaghetti western film directed by sergio leone and starring clint eastwood in his first leading role, alongside gian maria volonte, marianne koch, wolfgang lukschy, sieghardt rupp, jose calvo, antonio prieto, and joseph egger.
Its difficult for latterday western audiences to fully appreciate just how revolutionary kurosawas film was in its time. Though kurosawa sued leone director of a fistful of dollars for plagiarism kurosawa won and was a producer of the japanese release, yojimbo itself is. A ronin arrives in a small town in the grip of warring crime lords. It was inspired by dashiell hammetts detective novels, including red harvest 1929 and the glass key 1931, and was patterned after american westerns, especially the lonehero films of john ford, and in turn yojimbo inspired italian spaghetti westerns. Akira kurosawa directs the film which stars toshiro mifune, eijiro tono, and tatsuya nakadai. The purpose was to create an effective and dynamic opening title for akira kurosawas classic masterpiece, yojimbo 1961. The two bosses each try to hire the newcomer as a bodyguard.
Yojimbo internet movie firearms database guns in movies. With toshiro mifune, eijiro tono, tatsuya nakadai, yoko tsukasa. To rid a terrorstricken village of corruption, wily masterless samurai sanjuro turns a range war between two evil clans to his own advantage. The sword instruction and choreography for the film were done by yoshio sugino of the tenshin shoden katori shintoryu and ryu kuze. All film buffs should watch this film, it is a perfect example of a director and actor with confidence in their craft.
His presence is felt all throughout the film even when he isnt on camera. Yojimbo is a 1961 jidaigeki period drama film directed by akira kurosawa. Yojimbo, yojinbo, bodyguard is a 1961 japanese samurai film directed by akira. Released by classic film scores in 20 masaru satoh containing music from yojimbo 1961. Henryma favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite. Neither side is particularly honorable, but mifune is hungry and impoverished, so he agrees to work as bodyguard or yojimbo for a silk merchant kamatari fujiwara against a sake merchant takashi shimura. The incomparable toshiro mifune stars in akira kurosawas visually stunning and darkly comic yojimbo. With toshiro mifune, tatsuya nakadai, yoko tsukasa. Toshiro mifune, tatsuya nakadai, yoko tsukasa, isuzu yamada. While most japanese films are unfortunately dismissed out of hand, this one deserves a serious viewing. Sanjuro is a drifting samurai who arrives in a 19th century japanese town looking for work.
Legendary director akira kurosawa is able to execute a film better than any other director in the history of the medium. The samurai toshiro mifune demonstrates his value by slaughtering three ruffians and placing an order with the coffinmaker atsushi watanabe, early in akira kurosawas yojimbo, 1961. Kurosawa was inspired by the masters before him like fritz lang and john ford, and now kurosawas influence can be seen far and wide. In discussing yojimbo, director akira kurosawa was once quoted by film scholar donald richie as stating, for a long time, id wanted to make a really interesting film.
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