Logo_White

 
My Cart

Mini Cart

24.99

Pre-Order: Yojimbo & Sanjuro (2-Disc Blu-ray Set)

£24.99

A double bill of Kurosawa classics, newly presented on Blu-ray.

- +
Released 17 March 2025
Details

Yojimbo:

Like Seven Samurai (1954), Yojimbo was Akira Kurosawa’s tribute to the widescreen action Westerns of John Ford and was itself remade as a Western by Sergio Leone as A Fistful of Dollars (1964). Played by the great Toshiro Mifune, the film’s enigmatic samurai is a scruffy and itinerant warrior who wanders into a strange town and right into the middle of a war between two clans. Showing his skills with the 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 adventure.

Sanjuro

In response to the huge critical and commercial success of Yojimbo, Kurosawa and Mifune re-teamed a year later to make Sanjuro, a hilarious comedy of manners altogether more light-hearted than its predecessor. The story has Sanjuro (Mifune) running lazy rings around nine naïve and clean-cut samurai and two genteel ladies, whilst also cleaning up a spot of corruption in local government.

Whilst Kurosawa plays most of it for laughs, expertly parodying the conventions of Japanese period action films, he stages a startling switch of mood with an intense finale which may well be the briefest, and most breathtaking duel in all cinema.

Extras
  • Newly restored in 4K and presented in High Definition
  • Newly recorded interview with Jasper Sharp (2024)
  • Audio commentary on Yojimbo by film critic Philip Kemp
  • Introduction to Sanjuro by filmmaker Alex Cox (2003, 5 mins)
  • Interview with filmmaker Alex Cox (2003, 9 mins)
  • Original trailers for both films
  • **FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet featuring new and archival essays on both films, original reviews and full film credits
  • Other extras TBC
Additional Information
More Information
SKU 5035673015360
Catalogue Number BFIB1536
Product contents 2 discs
Year 1961, 1962
Director Akira Kurosawa
Format Blu-Ray
Publisher(s) BFI
Countries Japan
Colour Black & White
Subtitles English
Language(s) Japanese
Running time 209 mins total
Blu-ray region B
Certificate 12
BFICID_ID 50057064 150045001
Customer Reviews

Write Your Own Review

You're reviewing: Pre-Order: Yojimbo & Sanjuro (2-Disc Blu-ray Set)