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Yojimbo
用心棒
1961 110 min Japan 16+
★8.7
Drama, Thriller
Director: Akira Kurosawa
🎭 Based on
«Red Harvest»
byDashiell Hammett
Trailers
EN
Teaser
Description
A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and sake merchant Tokuemon to hire him as a personal bodyguard, then artfully sets in motion a full-scale gang war between the two ambitious and unscrupulous men.
US Gross:
$46,808
Starring
Toshirô Mifune
Actor
Eijirô Tôno
Actor
Tatsuya Nakadai
Actor
Awards
Venice Film Festival 1961
— Volpi Cup – Best Actor
Venice Film Festival 1961
— Golden Lion
Academy Awards 1962
— Best Costume Design (Black and White)
Key opinion
Yojimbo is widely regarded as a revolutionary masterpiece that masterfully blends Japanese samurai tropes with Western-style cynicism. While most critics celebrate its influence and Toshiro Mifune’s iconic performance, a minority finds the acting overly theatrical and the pacing dated.
| Acting | Toshiro Mifune’s portrayal of the ronin Sanjuro establishes an influential, cynical antihero archetype defined by physical agility and sharp intelligence. | |
| Direction | Akira Kurosawa’s directorial precision effectively bridges the gap between traditional Japanese motifs and the hardboiled sensibilities of American noir and Western cinema. | |
| Originality | The film’s influence on global action cinema is profound, serving as a seminal blueprint for the Spaghetti Western genre. | |
| Acting | While many viewers praise the stylized, expressive performances as essential to the film's tone, others perceive the supporting cast as prone to exaggerated overacting. | |
| Pacing | The film's deliberate, contemplative tempo and lack of modern gore rewards viewers seeking atmospheric tension, though some find it slow or occasionally dull by contemporary standards. |