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Film · 1961 · Jidaigeki
Yojimbo
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
1961
Japan
★ 8.4 editorial score
Leone took it wholesale for A Fistful of Dollars and Toho forced a settlement out of court: Kurosawa's samurai playing two gangs against each other is the template everyone still uses.
“The film transpires in 1860 Japan. The main character, Sanjuro, is a ronin - a samurai with no master...Stylish, compelling, and involving, "Yojimbo" became as much a blueprint for future productions as it is an homage to past ones. And, in Mifune's Sanjuro, we have an unforgettable protagonist – a super-samurai who, by the sheer force of his presence, elevates this movie to a level of greatness.”
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