Rating: 
Summary: One of the Best!
Review: This has got to be one of the best Samarai films. I agree with the other reviews on this film. To keep from being repetitive, I'll just say that this is another great samarai film, and is well worth seeing. This Criterion Edition is especially good.
Rating:
Summary: Instant classic
Review: Yojimbo is yet another Kurosawa classic, one whose international reputation has led it to be remade a number of times. No number of remakes will ever come close to the quality of this one. From the opening shots of a grubby, wandering Mifune as Sanjuro, to its downbeat ending, there's not a false note in Kurosawa's Eastern-Western. Nowadays the plot of a masterless samurai turning two warring sides of a town against each other is well known, so Yojimbo has lost a little of the impact it must have had upon its release. This in no way detracts from the quality of the film, however. Mifune is perfect as the scratching, grumbling, often bemused Sanjuro, and a fine cast is his equal. Tatsuya Nakadai is memorable as a samurai-cum-gunfighter, threatening the town with a gun he carries around like a toy. Daisuke Kato is another standout, playing the brother of one of the town leaders, with his peculiar looks and mannerisms.Kurosawa, as usual, shows his absolute command of the medium, eliciting note-perfect performances and a stunning range of shots; sand-swept streets and spying neighbours abound. He maintains the dark - and blackly humourous - tone of the film consistent throughout. The memorable scene of Sanjuro's entrance to the town as a dog goes by with a severed hand in its mouth is both hilarious and disturbing at the same time. Criterion's release of Yojimbo is much better than their subsequent Sanjuro effort. The picture here is crisp and the subtitles are good for the most part. Yojimbo is easily one of Kurosawa's best films (and that's saying a lot, in a back catalogue of mostly excellent films). If you haven't seen it, buy it. If you have bought it, watch it again!
Rating: 
Summary: 5 Star movie, 2 star transfer
Review: Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo is a not too long, not too short action film that uses its action with just the right touches of voracity and excitement, and in the backdrop is also a sense of humor to the process. If I had to reccomend a Kurosawa film to someone who's never seen one before (and might be impatient to sit through the 3 1/2 hour Seven Samurai), I'd put this one in their hands to enjoy. Kurosawa regular Toshiro Mifune is terrific as Sanjuro Kuwabatake, a drifter of a samurai who stumbles upon a town with an assorted cast of characters, with a split between two gangs. One of the gangsters, Unosuke (Nakadai), is the only one in town, it seems, with a gun. At first Sanjuro plays each side, but when he gets beaten roughly by whom he was "protecting", he realizes the fun's over, and it's time to fight back. Much has been made about how Sergio Leone took Kurosawa's story and characters (most inparticular being a rogue from out of town) and made them into his breakthrough Fistful of Dollars- Kurosawa even sued Leone over the story rights. But to those who wonder whether Yojimbo is 'better' than Fistful or vice versa need to remember one of two things- Kurosawa took the story from Dashiell Hammett's gangster novel Red Desert, so neither filmmaker is making something really original; and that since each film is made in a different contintent, and with the slightest different sensibilities about its characters (for one thing in Yojimbo guns are scarcer than in Fistful, and there's a treatment Kurosawa has with his actors that sets it apart from the small town western scope of Leone's weapons and actors), so each film carries its own kind of style while working in a similar structure. In other words, it's like apples and oranges picked in the same farm (if that makes at all sense). Overall, Yojimbo on its own is a lean, terrific Japanese crime/action film, helmed by a master, and featuring a number of highlights to look forard to on multiple viewings. Some of those include: the scene inside Seibei's brothel (with the women dancing and singing), Masaru Sato's wonderful musical orchestrations, Mifune's curiously soft spoken and rough performance, and a climax that is up there with one of Kurosawa's finest battles. ...as for the DVD, I have a bone to pick with the Criterion people- this is NOT a high quality transfer. When watching this film I kept on getting a little annoyed by the scratch marks, and by a white line that kept on dancing itself in the middle of the screen during important scenes. I know it's probably an old print (it's 42 years old), but it's a pale comparison to the work that was done on the Seven Samurai and Rashomon transfers. And the lack of special features is also a downer. I'd say buy it, though with aprehension as to whether or not they might come out with another, better edition (fingers crossed).
Rating:
Summary: Fistful of Yen
Review: Yojimbo inspired Fistful of Dollars which inspired a whole new batch of action films known for their brash style and nihilism. Yet, Yojimbo, though ostensibly cynical and brutal, is one of the best, most thoughtful satire on the human condition. In this regard, it's comparable to Dr. Strangelove. Its vision of manking is pessimisitic but not without a certain warm, amused affection.
In Yojimbo, a Japanese town is paralyzed into a state of cold war between two equally brutish clans. Everyone's either a participant in the perversion, cynical toadie, or hapless bystander. Comes Yojimbo, like the angel of death to clean up the town. In the Western, that usually means killing the bad guys. In Yojimbo nothing less than armageddon will do. Riotous, swaggering, macho, shrewd... Mifune has never been better. Kurosawa, known for his didactism, for whatever reason shifted into gear more closely associated with the sensibility of Kon Ichikawa, in his conception for Yojimbo.
A laughing vision of hell, funny as hell.
Rating:
Summary: Death in the Dust and the Wind
Review: Although it lacks the scope of THE SEVEN SAMURAI, THRONE OF BLOOD, and other more widely known films by the celebrated Akira Kurosawa, the 1961 YOJIMBO (also known as BODYGUARD) is one of the most important films of the second half of the 20th Century--and a film that was deeply influenced by American film. Even so, YOJIMBO stands on its own merits: it's a magnificent piece of cinema that will fascinate even those who normally turn up their noses at "movies with subtitles." In theory, the film is based on the 1929 Dashiell Hammett novel RED HARVEST--but transports the basic story to a period in Japan when the Samurai class has fallen on hard times and must seek employment as common body guards. Sanjuro Kuwabatake (brilliantly played by Toshiro Mifune, who appeared in several Kurosawa films) is such a one, a scruffy looking and aging warrior who finds himself caught between warring factions of a Japanese village and responds by playing the two against each other. One of the film's greatest assets is its visual style. Kurosawa is very clearly influenced by the look of the American western here, and most particularly so, in my opinion, by HIGH NOON. Consequently, YOJIMBO leaps the cultural divide with considerable ease--but Kurosawa uses the images of empty streets and the lone warrior to considerably different effect, presenting him as a dangerous figure who emerges from the dust and the wind to rip wide his foes. But the film does not rely on visual style alone: there is plenty of hard substance here, too. The plot is tightly wound, action-intensive, and laced with a dry and very black humor, and the cast is superlative throughout. As it borrowed from the American movie western, so did it influence American film in return, most obviously in the form of the popular Clint Eastwood "spaghetti westerns" of the 1970s--where it was essentially remade as A FIST FULL OF DOLLARS. But frankly Clint Eastwood never had it so good: with Kurosawa at the helm and Mifune as the lead, Eastwood's "lone stranger" feels mighty tame in comparison. The Criterion DVD offers the film in original widescreen and in the best possible condition short of a full digital restoration. As noted elsewhere, there are occasional blips and lines--but honestly the film is so driving that you will barely notice them. The subtitles also seem to be a better translation than I've seen in any other version. YOJIMBO was my introduction to Japanese cinema. I urge you to let it be yours as well. GFT, Amazon reviewer
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite movies, deservedly so
Review: "Yojimbo" was a joy for me the first time I watched it, and it is always a joy to me no matter how many times I see it. The main character uses his use of wit and cunning as much as the sword, and plays both sides like his own puppets. The characters and the action are what makes this film work so well for me. Kurosawa proves he can use his skill for more than just movies based around one metaphor, and creates a film that is just a joy to watch. Some have claimed he was making fun of the vie for power between the United States and Russia during the Cold War...but who really cares? Let's just enjoy what we have.
Rating:
Summary: A lone stranger comes into town...
Review: A masterless samurai, by the name of Sanjuro, shows up one day and finds the town in the grasp of two evil clans. Both clans wish to run the town and its businesses. As you know, when a town has two bosses it has one boss too many...oh, you've seen this movie before? A Fistful of Dollars? Well, you're right. That was one of the remakes of THIS film, right down to the unhappy inn keeper, the main character scratching his chin a lot and even an exchange of a son and a mistress. Lots of sword fighting, humor and great art. While I like Eastwood, just check out my reviews of his older movies, I would have to say this is the better verison of the story. The DVD is in Japanese with optional subtitles in English, Chinese, Thai and Malay. It also has the original trailer and is shown in letterbox format, so you don't miss any of the action.
Sit down with some fried rice, a bottle of sake (don't forget to warm it) and ENJOY!
Rating:
Summary: Another classic Kurosawa and Mifune pairing
Review: This story is set in the 1860's when the emerging middle class, aided by Western intervention, ousted the Tokugawa Dynasty that had ruled Japan since 1603. A lone ronin (masterless samurai) stumbles into a deserted dusty town, complete with a dusty street, blowing wind, with businesses on either side. This town is divided by two warring factions, led by Seibei and Ushi-Tora. The samurai gets the story from Gonji, the tired and angry old man who runs the local inn. "One boss in a town can't be helped, but not two. ... only good for the cooper." Keep in mind that the round tubs made in this town serve as coffins. The local official in town is corrupt and does nothing to put an end to the fighting. "Now, only swords can settle things," observes Gonji wryly. The samurai decides that the town would be served best if both sides got rid of one another. To this end, he devises several stratagems to play them off against each other. After killing some of Ushi-Tora's men in self-defense, he stays on to see which faction will bid higher for him during a truce, when an inspector comes to town. Both sides are not sure what to make of him, but they know they want his services in order to make the crushing blow that will make their side the winning one. Indeed, the town, like a kettle, begin to go back on the boil once the inspector leaves. There are hostage-takings, reprisals, and more killings. Things escalate to the point where even the cooper is dazed, saying "when a fight gets too big, they don't bother with coffins." There are some pretty brutal characters, such as Ino, Ushi-Tora's brother, a portly guy with thick eyebrows, and a tall hulking pituitary case who at one point wields a giant wooden maul. Then there's Unosuke, Ushi-Tora's youngest brother, who comes back with a new toy--hint, it fires bullets. The original inspiration for this movie was Dashiel Hammett's The Glass Key, and the story of two warring factions, a lone warrior for hire, corrupt officials, and a brutal bodyguard did come through in even the movie version starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. However, Yojimbo was remade as A Fistful Of Dollars and Last Man Standing among others, but has not and seemingly, never will be topped by its imitators, so please, don't refer to this as A Fistful of Sushi. Though set in the 1860's, its similarity to a Western drama is not an unfounded observation. Despite his well-known role as the buffoonish samurai-wannabe Kikuchiyo in The Seven Samurai, Toshiro Mifune creates another memorable character as Sanjuro, laconic, reserved, strategic in thinking, a master with a sword, but also with a kind heart. Tatsuya Nakadai plays Unosuke, and is best known for starring as the aged king in Kurosawa's Ran. Eijiro Tono also turns in a splendid performance as Gonji. This movie was followed by Sanjuro, in which Mifune reprised the title role created in Yojimbo. After The Seven Samurai, I rank this immediately afterwards.
Rating:
Summary: A Fistful of Ryo - the wonderful oringial spaghetti western
Review: While this great movie has been a pattern for American Westerns it is itself an American Western translated into Japanese. It is so great that it was made into "A Fistful of Dollars" and, more recently, a Bruce Willis movie. This movie is even set in 1860, has all the wind and dust blowing around, a one street, wooden building town being held prisoner by two warring and corrupt factions. And it stars the incomparable Toshiro Mifune. What more could you want? Well, maybe that the widescreen was just a tad wider so we could have seen the WHOLE movie. But it is still pretty good. Just don't expect a completely pristine and digitally restored print. But this is pretty good. This is a great story full of interesting twists and turns with lots of villains who need to be forcefully exited from the story. There are some wonderfully memorable figures such as the idiot brother of one of the bosses, the huge muscleman (think the Jaws character in the Bond films), the protective old man who distrusts everyone, dislikes the samurai, but comes to be his savior, the wife and madam of one of the bosses who really runs the boss and is hated by everyone, but she can't seem to grasp why. As the story begins, The Samurai With No Name throws a stick into the air and it lands pointing down a road. Without knowing what awaits him, he heads down the road into this story. When he gets into town he in turn meets the soldiers of each of the bosses. Mifune's character decides to pit them against each other in order to clean up the town. He is able to manipulate both sides quite well until a side incident arises that he involves himself in and ends up getting his manipulations found out. The samurai is nearly killed, but of course finds a way to make a desperate escape to set up the final showdown. All of this is extremely well done and wonderfully involved and at a certain point you don't care which clan is winning because you want both of them to lose and be utterly destroyed. This has been a very influential film and it deserves to be. I am glad Criterion has made this film more widely available so we can know and appreciate the original rather than just seeing it second hand through the remakes.
Rating:
Summary: Bodyguard
Review: Yojimbo is an absolutely magnificent film. However, the criteration collection completely destroyed the picture quality. The credits literally go off the screen and it's not just because I have a small television either. So, the picture quality is definitely the worst I've ever seen. The movie itself though it great. Remade as "A Fistfull of Dollars" in the west, Yojimbo if packed with the kind of action you expect from anime nowadays. In fact, it probably had a strong influence on the Japanese animation that has become so popular throughout the world in which one samurai makes sashimi out of the other and the corpse slides into bloody wedges. This isn't nearly as good as other Kurosawa films, such as Red Beard (Akahige), but it is definately great and a lot better than its sequel, Sanjuro. I suggest getting this movie, but try collecting Kurosawa films in chronological order, so that you can see how the director himself evolves. He made thirty films, so it won't be dificult to maintain a somewhat impressive collection, including such stars as Mifune Toshiro (Drunken Angel, The Seven Samurai, Sanjuro) and Shimura Takashi (Ikiru, The Seven Samurai, Sanjuro)
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