Yojimbo & Sanjuro - Two Films By Akira Kurosawa - Criterion Collection (1963)

 Two Kurosawa films is better than one.
Yojimbo & Sanjuro in a set together, good buy, worth the money. If you ever wanted to know where Sergio Leone got the idea of "the man with no name", here it is!! is that a hand in that dog's mouth?!! March 31, 2008

 Two great movies -- together!
Yet another triumph from director Akira Kurosawa and his favorite star, Toshiro Mifune, Yojimbo is one of the more influential films Kurosawa made. Although the simple "man in the middle pitting two sides against each other" has been seen as early as Dashiell Hammett's Red Harvest, Yojimbo has been remade twice (as A Fistful of Dollars and the Walter Hill/Bruce Willis actioner Last Man Standing) and has long been recognized as one of the greatest samurai films ever made.

Mifune stars as Sanjuro, a run-down samurai with no current direction. He happens upon a village with two feuding factions and instantly sees the opportunity. He hires himself out as a bodyguard, first to one then the other and has them wipe each other out with little physical effort of his own.

But don't think that Kurosawa misses any opportunity to show off Sanjuro's skill with the sword. However, their appearances are few and therefore to be treasured. Mifune is perfect as the has-been samurai and Kurosawa's dark sense of humor has never been so showcased.

Although not as praised as his masterpiece Seven Samurai, Yojimbo is more accessible to the average viewer and is thus a perfect introduction to the director's work.

Its sequel, Sanjuro, while surely the lesser film, is no less enjoyable. Originally a different story that was later rewritten for Mifune's samurai character, this time Sanjuro chooses sides with a group of young samurai against a corrupt official. With his help, they manage to defeat the official and rescue two women hostages.

The story is much simpler this time around, but Mifune is the whole show here. His character, so wonderful in Yojimbo, is just as much fun in Sanjuro. Watching him rub his stubble in thought while he surprises people with the skill hidden under his rough exterior is a great joy and I can't imagine any other actor being able to pull it off. His easy confidence is an inspiration to "not judge a book by its cover."

The final duelling scene is notable for a tremendously bloody battle between the defeated official and Sanjuro. The carnage is almost laughable in its volume, but somehow Kurosawa makes it work in the context of his story.

Those who have not seen Yojimbo would still enjoy Sanjuro as it is simpler and thus more acceptable to a mass audience, but viewing them together gives one a fuller portrait of this enigmatic freelance samurai. A man who seems to always show up when he is needed, and then move on before he has worn out his welcome. February 29, 2008

 Classic Kurosawa and Mifune
What a fun movie! Toshiro Mifune is his wonderful mocking self.
Later done as "A Fistful of Dollars". February 24, 2008

 Great films, great package, great quality
These are two highly entertaining films, mifune is excellent. and i have to say criterion knows how to package movies. January 18, 2008

 Excellent transfer
I'm going to work under the assumption that you have already seen these movies (if not, there are plenty of reviews about how great the movies themselves are, so I won't belabor the point). I bought these movies as an upgrade to the 1998 Criterion release that I still have, and I think it was a worthwhile investment.

Although the differences between 1998 and 2007 pressing are not as great as the differences between the 1998 and 2007 pressing of Seven Samurai, these two movies did get a significant upgrade. While they are not flawless, they are closer than I would have ever expected to see them. I actually watched the first few chapters of each pressing of both movies, and the differences are amazing. The graininess has been cleared up, almost all the scratches have been removed, and there are very few blemishes (you pretty much have to be looking for them to even notice them).

Although these aren't cheap by an stretch of the imagination, if you love these movies and would like to see and hear them at their best, then the pricetag is well worth the cost. If, on the other hand, you haven't seen these movies (of you're just not insane about AV quality, like me) keep in mind that you can pick up the older pressing for half as much. July 21, 2007

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