"Yojimbo" DVD Movie Review

[Mark Heide]

Yojimbo was directed by Akira Kurosawa. It is a Japanese black and white movie made in the early '60s. If you are a fan of A Fistful of Dollars, you would probably enjoy this film becasue A Fistful of Dollars was the remake of it. The differences between the movies are cultural, but the plot is basically the same. The hero in this film is Sanjuro who arrives in a town controlled by two mobs. Just like in A Fistful of Dollars he Sanjuro, a samurai, offers his services to both mobs. The primary difference in this film compared to A Fistful of Dollars is the mobs make their money from gambling and prostitution. Futhermore, instead of guns, it's done with swords. What I like about this film is it's more humorous than the Italian remake.

Good Luck

Mark

[John Cole]

Mark,

Yojimbo is a great introduction to Samurai films, and it really outshines Fistfull. A better remake, I think, is John Sturges's The Magnificent Seven, which is the American version of Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai. In Sturges's film, James Coburn delivers a great performance, and the knife-throwing scene is a worthy counterpart to the swordfight in the original. Coburn, I read somewhere, has only eleven lines in the film, but you'll remember his character.

And, if you haven't seen it, check out Sturges's Bad Day at Black Rock, a searing film which explores American racism like few others.

John

[Mark Heide]

John,

It's been many years since I saw The Magnificent Seven, so I'll have to watch it again. I do have a copy of The Seven Samurai, and it is a great film to watch.

Recently, I've started watching the Zatoichi, the blind samurai, films which have good plots. I'll check out Bad Day at Black Rock. Thanks for the recommendations.

Good Luck

Mark

[Phat Mack]

Yojimbo is a great flick. There's sequel called "Sanjuro" that has the same character and is a little more slapstick. It has a famous scene at the end where Mifune kills his opponent without properly drawing his sword. It caused quite a stir at the time it was made.

I have to disagree with John (shudder). I think Fistfull of Dollars is a better film than Mag Seven. I may have something to do my not liking the original (too long), or not thinking Yul Brenner makes a cowboy where Eastwood does. Mag Seven always came accross as too sentimental fto me. I will agree about "Black Rock." Spencer Tracy and Lee Marvin.

Zatoichi is one of my favorites. A blind guy (he might be a disabled masterless samurai) wandering around with a sword concealed in his cane, giving massages and shooting dice. He plays the type of hero who lets himself be pushed a little too far, then proceeds with the bloodbath. Great fun but difficult to find in video stores.

[John Cole]

Phat,

I love Morricone's scores, but I love the score for Seven even more, I think. Although Seven could be paced a bit beter at times, the opening scene is wonderful, and Coburn and Robert Vaughn deliver great performances. Remember the scene in which Vaughn's character looks at five or six flies on the table, and he flings out his hand, opens his fist, and reveals one or two flies? The onlookers comment about his great reflexes, and Vaughn just sighs and says, "At one time I would have had all of them."

I've seen Sanjuro and Zatoichi and agree completely. Have you ever seen any of the Baby Cart series?

John

[Phat Mack]

The Baby Cart series is one of my favorites. I saw some of them in Japan 35 years ago, but can't remember their names. I ask for them at video stores, describe them, then get looked at like I'm crazy. I think there is also one Mifune flick where he has a baby carriage, but it doesn't have wheels that turn into knives.

[Mark Heide]

Phat Mack,

Sanjuro is on my list to see. If you want to watch a long samurai movie, watch the over 3 hour epic The Seven Samurai. The Zatoichi series has 5 episodes released so far and they go for $15 a piece.

Mark