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
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)
It is Wonderful to Create – Yojimbo (2002, 45 mins): the film is examined in detail in this documentary study
Introduction to Sanjuro (2003, 5 mins): filmmaker Alex Cox introduces Sanjuro
Newly recorded audio commentary on Sanjuro by Japanese-Australian filmmaker Kenta McGrath
It is Wonderful to Create – Sanjuro (2002, 37 mins): the film is examined in detail in this short documentary study
Out of the Dust Storm and into the Koi Pond (2025, 18 mins): Nic Wassell considers the role of nature as a background to the machinations of mankind in role of nature as a background to the machinations of mankind in Yojimbo and Sanjuro
Alex Cox on Kurosawa (2003, 9 mins): the director discusses the life and work of Akira Kurosawa (2003, 9 mins)
Original Japanese trailers
Image galleries
Both films include original 3-channel Perspecta audio
**FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet with new writing on both films by Hayley Scanlon, writing on both films by Akira Kurosawa, originally published in 1964, original reviews and credits
