Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Yojimbo (1961)

Notes: 4/26/11
Artful, chic music lends itself to the culture and the era the film was made.
Opening credits. Following Sanjuro from below.
Great set design. The window shutters.
Awesome swordfights with severed limbs!
Widescreen framing is impressively cinematic.
The bad guy has a gun! Very creative for a samurai film.
Mifune has probably his best role here. “So long.”

Review: A-
Legendary Akira Kurosawa directs Toshiro Mifune as a samurai who comes upon a small town in the midst of a violent feud. Mifune plays Sanjuro, who takes it upon himself to end the feud by turning the two rival families against each other. Many colorful characters inhabit the town, but it is Unosuke, son of one of the rivals, who, along with his shiny revolver, creates the biggest challenge for Sanjuro. Artfully cinematic, powered by a chic fusion of Japanese-American music, and the tough, iconic presence of Mifune in the role he was born to play. Classic samurai and peerless filmmaking.

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