Rent Yojimbo (1961)
4.0 of 5 from 217 ratings
1h 46min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- The enigmatic samurai in Yojimbo is played by the great Toshiro Mifune as a scruffy, scratching, itinerant warrior who wanders into a strange town and right into the middle of two warring clans. Showing his skills with the samurai sword within minutes of his arrival, he soon has the town's rival factions competing for his services.Kurosawa's genius for storytelling combines with thrilling swordplay, a healthy dose of black humour, a soundtrack every bit as atmospheric and amusing as Ennio Morricone's, and a towering performance from Mifune, to make 'Yojimbo' an irresistible widescreen action movie.
- Actors:
- Toshirô Mifune, Eijirô Tôno, Tatsuya Nakadai, Toshiro Mifune, Yôko Tsukasa, Isuzu Yamada, Daisuke Katô, Seizaburô Kawazu, Takashi Shimura, Hiroshi Tachikawa, Yôsuke Natsuki, Kamatari Fujiwara, Ikio Sawamura, Atsushi Watanabe, Susumu Fujita, Kyû Sazanka, Kô Nishimura, Takeshi Katô, Ichirô Nakatani, Sachio Sakai
- Directors:
- Akira Kurosawa
- Producers:
- Ryûzô Kikushima, Akira Kurosawa, Tomoyuki Tanaka
- Writers:
- Akira Kurosawa, Ryûzô Kikushima
- Others:
- Yoshiro Muraki
- Aka:
- Yôjinbô / Bodyguard
- Studio:
- BFI Video
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama
- Collections:
- Award Winners, Films & TV by topic, Getting to Know..., Getting to Know: Clint Eastwood, Lions on the Lido, Shakespeare in Disguise, A Brief History of Film..., The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to: Akira Kurosawa, Top 10 World Cinema Remakes, Top Films
- Countries:
- Japan
- Awards:
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 17/03/2025
- Run Time:
- 110 minutes
- Languages:
- Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Japanese LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- English
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.35:1
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Sword For Hire (2024, 25 mins): Kurosawa scholar Jasper Sharp discusses 'Yojimbo' and 'Sanjuro' in this analytical assessment
- Audio commentary on 'Yojimbo' by film critic Philip Kemp (2000)
- Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create - 'Yojimbo' (2002, 45 mins): a detailed documentary study of the film
- Out of the Duststorm and Into the Koi Pond (2025, 18 mins): Nic Wassell considers the role of nature as a background to human machinations in both films
- Alex Cox on Kurosawa (2003, 9 mins): the director discusses the life and work of Akira Kurosawa
- Original trailers
- Image galleries
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 17/03/2025
- Run Time:
- 110 minutes
- Languages:
- Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Japanese LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- English
- DVD Regions:
- Region 0 (All)
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.35:1
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- (0) All
- Bonus:
- Sword For Hire (2024, 25 mins): Kurosawa scholar Jasper Sharp discusses 'Yojimbo' and 'Sanjuro' in this analytical assessment
- Audio commentary on 'Yojimbo' by film critic Philip Kemp (2000)
- Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create - 'Yojimbo' (2002, 45 mins): a detailed documentary study of the film
- Out of the Duststorm and Into the Koi Pond (2025, 18 mins): Nic Wassell considers the role of nature as a background to human machinations in both films
- Alex Cox on Kurosawa (2003, 9 mins): the director discusses the life and work of Akira Kurosawa
- Original trailers
- Image galleries
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Reviews (5) of Yojimbo
truly rewarding experience - Yojimbo review by griggs
Having thoroughly enjoyed Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy last year—especially A Fistful of Dollars—I was eager to finally check out Yojimbo as part of Japanuary. Kurosawa's influence on Leone is undeniable, and seeing the original story that inspired A Fistful of Dollars was a truly rewarding experience.
Yojimbo is a film that even those new to Kurosawa's work can easily appreciate. The plot is razor-sharp, and the two hours spent watching Sanjuro (played brilliantly by Toshiro Mifune) navigate his way through two rival clans flew by. Kurosawa's critique of unchecked capitalism, vividly showcasing the exploitation and suffering of the townspeople, is both thought-provoking and engaging.
The film is a visual masterpiece, with stark contrasts between the dusty town and the vibrant green of the surrounding countryside. The cinematography, particularly the use of low-angle shots to emphasize Sanjuro's power, adds to the film's visual impact. Mifune's portrayal of Sanjuro is captivating, perfectly balancing the character's cunning and humour with a subtle undercurrent of moral ambiguity. This, paired with music equal to Morricone's Fistful of Dollars soundtrack in terms of impact, adds so much personality to the story.
Kurosawa delivers a crowdpleaser that balances depth with fun. I can already tell this is one I'll return to repeatedly. If you've been on the fence about Kurosawa, Yojimbo is the perfect gateway film. Highly recommended.
2 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
Probably a great film, but a terrible DVD transfer - Yojimbo review by IF
The image quality on this DVD is terrible. I was tempted to rent it after watching a clip in HD on Youtube. It looked visually stunning. This DVD is dark and blurred, to the point of being unwatchable.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Glorious, repays re-watching - Yojimbo review by MR
The film grows on you. Story is good, framing of shots is fantastic, and so is Mifune. It is worth watching once, then watching again with the commentary which is included in the extras, as there is interesting information about Kurosawa's liking of the wide screen format.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.