Yojimbo is the story of two clans
vying for political power. They bid on the aid and services of a lone,
wandering samurai who comes to town (Toshirô
Mifune). The samurai sells his services to both sides, and chaos ensues.
The great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa,
noted also for his works Ran,
Rashomon, and
Seven Samurai, is the director of this fine Japanese film. Kurosawa was
definitely one of the most influential directors of his time, and continues to
be, his films not losing the power he endowed them with so long ago.
The story of Yojimbo, however, is a more familiar one than his other films, though almost all his films if not all have been copied in some way or another. Yojimbo has been remade as A Fistful of Dollars with Clint Eastwood, just three years later, and then again as Last Man Standing in the late ‘90s, with Bruce Willis. A lone samurai wanders into town, and plays two rival gangs as fools, by offering his services to both. The whole plot revolves around Mifune’s character, and his deft maneuvering between the two warring clans. It’s a kick-butt classic Japanese western with excellent cinematography, acting, and plot, and it’s highly recommended you go out and rent it.
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Quotes from Yojimbo:
Sanjuro: I want three coffins... make that four.
Unosuke: The entrance to hell, I'll be waiting for you there.
Cast
overview, first billed only:
Toshirô Mifune .... Sanjuro Kuwabatake
Eijirô Tono .... Gonji the Sake Seller
Kamatari Fujiwara .... Tazaemon
Takashi Shimura .... Tokuemon
Seizaburô Kawazu .... Seibei
Isuzu Yamada .... Orin
Hiroshi Tachikawa .... Yoichiro
Kyu Sazanka .... Ushitora
Tatsuya Nakadai .... Unosuke
Daisuke Katô .... Inokichi
Ikio Sawamura .... Hansuke
Ko Nishimura .... Kuma
Yoshio Tsuchiya .... Kohei
Yôko Tsukasa .... Nui
Susumu Fujita .... Homma
