Yojimbo

I recently ordered this film on DVD,though I have seen it more than once on IFC (Independent Film Channel) and I have always found Kirosawa's films to be reflective of real life situations. People are basically a cross between good and evil, with some variations of extremes between the two. The ronin in this film is like a robinhood type slash heroic type knight who certainly takes advantage of the stupid feud between two dominant houses but also he helps a young couple escape certain doom, however his plans backfire and...well I am not going to tell the whole movie. I think Akira Kirosawa was the best filmmaker that has ever lived, next to Kubrick and I dare say Lynch. If you have never seen this film before you should see it without a doubt, some of the best films are in monochrone black and white so don't let that bother you. This is a humorous and insightful film, dealing with human nature and how ridiculous people look when they go to extremes. It pays to just sit back and be a clearful observer, taking advantage from people guided solely by emotion.

"Yojimbo" may be Akira Kurosawa's most approachable film. On one level, it is pure entertainment. Mifune is perfect as the grubby super samurai. He embodies the anti-hero, the man-with-no-name who is not cultured or pure but still uses his strength on the side of the right. The bad men are clearly bad, and identify themselves as such. The fight scenes are flashy, unlike the realistic sword fights of "The Seven Samurai."On another level, "Yojimbo" shows Kurosawa's feelings about the encroaching capitalism and it's effect on Japanese culture. The businessmen have replaced the outlaw bandits and the villains. In a normal world, the corrupt Yakuza would swarm over the innocent workers and corrupt their children. Here, Kurosawa embodies a force of resistance. A samurai who can pit sword against pistol and out-fight ten men at once. He is a hero.It is precisely these metaphors that lifts "Yojimbo" beyond a simple chambra (swordfight) flick, and make it a Kurosawa movie. I highly recomend this film.

Yojimbo is great entertainment. What's not to like about this rootless ronin, wandering..who knows where? I love the opening scene with Toshiro's mighty back, his face toward the mountain. How oddly Paramount-ish the film is..anybody remember the Indiana Jones scene with Indy's back...Indy looking at the mountain. Spielberg said that, as a kid, he used his own crayola version of the mountain logo (Spielberg means "play-mountain" in German).We know how much he and Lucas loved Kurasawa films..they point to the Hidden Fortress, but, heck, what about Yojimbo? Oh, I think they took a page from Kuraswa's notebook, don't you? Check the two scenes against one another. You'll see.Yeah, It's influential. I won't go into the American Westerns influenced by the film. Let's say this: It's fabulous dark entertainment, and, after viewing other Kurasawa films, perhaps Yojimbo gains a certain depth. One recognizes characters from other films..it's like seeing family members in a whole new light with new skills that surprise you, make you respect them. Ok. Maybe not Toshiro Mifune. He's always cool. I always love him. He's always compelling to watch, even when he isn't really doing anything. There's always the potential for action that thrills.Hey, and what cooler scene in any movie than the dog walking down the street with a human hand in its mouth, then the pan to Mifune, and his reaction?Absolutely priceless.

Akira Kurosawa's YOJIMBO is a samurai movie set in Japan in 1860. That period was characterized by political turmoils and deep social changes. Samurais found no masters anymore and had to survive by selling their wit and their arms if they didn't want to turn into ronins, into mad warriors. In the far country, they could appear as substitutes of the law officers who didn't dare to show up.Toshiro Mifune stars as the no-name samurai who will benefit from the war going on between two gangs in one of these out-of-the-law towns. At this point, if you're an average movie lover, you will have recognized in YOJIMBO several themes used two or three years later by numerous italo-american filmmakers responsible for the revival of the western genre between 1962 and 1970.In fact, while I was admiring the skill of Toshiro Mifune, I couldn't refrain myself from counting the numerous situations borrowed by Sergio Leone in his Eastwood trilogy. Close-ups of the ugly faces of the outlaws, use of the widescreen format in order to film in the best possible way the streets duels, a musical score which haunts your mind and is part of the action, bloody details (the hand in the dog's mouth...) and a great sense of humor.I love Sergio Leone's movies but I think that it's of the utmost importance or simply by politeness to remember that YOJIMBO is the first Spaghetti western and that Akira Kurosawa has practically invented the myth of the no-name stranger.A scene access, colour bars and a trailer as bonus features. Great sound for a great musical score but, unfortunately, a master copy with such defaults as lines or white and black spots.A pre-Clint DVD.

Great film

This great movie and it greeted The First Full Dollars with Clint Eastwood.

Yojimbo (1961) is a great well done movie. If you liked "A Fistful of Dollars" (1964), you should like this too.It's a Japanese film, so it has sub-titles, but well worth watching. I enjoyed the movie a lot!!

If this is something that you like then get it. Physical copies are becoming more and more rare, but right now the prices are lower than they have ever been, so go for it. It is better to physically own the things that you like because then you can watch them whenever you want, and if you have kids or ever do end up with kids, you’ll be able to show them the fantastic things without having to worry about them finding stuff you don’t want them to see.

What a great film! This is Mr Mifune at his finest, playing a convincing, manipulative hero that makes you want to root not only for him, but for his principles and his cause. A great, great film!

Proof that an excellent movie does not equate to an expensive movie. Personally, I consider 'Yojimbo' more aesthetically pleasing than anything Speilberg ever did (excluding 'Duel'). Ten stars, plus an extra twenty Punk Points for its brilliance. Total keeper.

First time I've seen this film and I loved it. It is quite dark about human nature, unlike The Seven Samurai, Rashomon, and The Hidden Fortress. It is more graphically violent than these previous film, but not intolerably so. It is a story of how a samurai successfully pits two groups of gangsters in a small town who have been quarreling against each other already. The samurai, who resembles a drifter in an American western (e.g., Shane or The Searchers), once arrives to the town concocts his plan to destroy these rivaling gangs to give the town a new beginning. It is a film that has influences from American films and has also influenced other American films, particularly Sergio Leone's Man with no Name saga.

This rating is not for the film but for the physical media itself. Maybe I am a bit spoiled but the first Kurosawa Criterion Collection I got was Seven Samurai and that one was a little more money, but when I got it I was floored with the packaging and the treatment it was given. So when I got this one and the packaging was just like any other Blu-Ray (albeit with incredible art work which is rare on many films), this one was a little cheaper than Seven Samurai but nowhere as cheap as a normal film so I think it is fair to expect a little bit more from the packaging on a product that has more of a premium price. I also bought The Hidden Fortress with this and it has similar packaging so a similar review will be on it's page. So again maybe I was just spoiled with Seven Samurai as my first but that's how it goes.The film is incredible and would be 5 out of 5 without question.

Here is a dvd where a few of the hired thugs have more character than the craven village people who are just despicable, all of this makes Sanjuro like a Greek God dropping from heaven to set things right...AND NO that is not a criticism , his character is too well defined , just passing through and stopping long enough to clean up the village. the wide street has all the fell of a American western so that looking at the empty street vistas you just unconsciously change them a western ghost town...Clint Eastwood chewed on his cigar , Sanjuro chews on a toothpick while both show the same facial expressions....So what could go wrong WELL NOTHING...its a great dvd...one is a "ronin, the other is a ";loner and nameless"...Torshiro Mifune is terrific but I think Clint carried the character off better .yes its in black & white but that is quickly forgotten.....but what initially bothered me was that I could not get it to full screen size....the letter boxing black borders were so wide they made to dvd appear small.its OK because you quickly get used to it....you must have it, it's a CLASSIC

Toshiro Mifune is one of my favorite actors. He's other good movies are Hidden Fortress and Seven Samurai. In Yojimbo he plays a ronin and a soldier of fortune. While darkly humorous at times, there is still enough of sword play to keep one entertained. While others have commented on the poorly dubbed voices, I don't mind as it's bothersome to try to read what is said and watch the movie at the same time.

Yojimbo may not technically be Kurosawa's best film but it surely must be his coolest. Well known as the film that inspired A Fistful of Dollars, if it's the first time you've seen it you may end up having to re-evaluate Sergio Leone's contribution to cinema.I had recently purchased the Australian region 2 DVD but was so dissatisfied with the over-processed picture quality and lack of extras I immediately tracked down this far superior Criterion edition. I've replaced this, Throne of Blood and Hidden Fortress and each offer the best picture and sound quality I've seen of these films.My only complaint is that I'd have much preferred to get them on blu-ray, but like all Criterions they're region locked - fortunately my player can cope with region 1 DVDs.

I don't understand what the furor is about extras? You want extras, then don't buy this set! It doesn't say there are any extras except a short book on Kurosawa, which is fine, but I bought it for the movies, and they're great! I admit, I am not a fan of everything he's ever done, I.E. I am lost as to the plot or the point of Hidden Fortress. And how anyone saw Star Wars in that film is beyond me! However, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, Ikiru, High and Low, Kagemusha, and of course The Seven Samurai; and 18 I haven't mentioned are all here. Some of which will be very hard to see if you don't buy this collection. The breadth and depth of Kurosawa is well represented and much less expensively than if you bought even half of them alone, (with extras.) Yes, Ran, is missing and that's a flaw, but with all you have here you can afford to pick up what's left.

For those who are looking for an old action film from when they were humorous and not as over the top or "gritty" as most newer films tend to lean towards I would recommend this movie. I won't go into a plot synopsis as Amazon has already done that for me but I will say simply point out that it is true that anyone who liked "A Fist Full of Dollars" or the later "Last Man Standing" from the nineties couldn't really go wrong with this film storywise. The only sticking point I can see that some might have a problem with is the issue of it being a fifty year old movie with subtitles to which I really don't know what to say if this is the case. The technical aspects of the film are about what one would expect, there are no artifacts or any glaring faults but for those who are sticklers it obviously isn't going to light up the room with its sharper than life qualit either. On a side note, if the Yojimbo/Sanjuro collection has come down in price by this time (I bought this version awhile ago and only recently watched it)to be more comparable with with Yojimbo alone; bearing in mind that comparable with Criterion Collection movies is fairly subjective I would recommend getting that one instead.

When this box set came out, I started to sell the DVDs I already had from it (around 9 criterion collection editions, many of them with additional discs and extras) in order to purchase this collection. I decided that the films themselves were enough for me (the DVDs here come with no extras, through the quality of the film restoration is amazing). This set presents the full arc of Kurosawa's career. While some of the films, like No Regrets for Our Youth and the Idiot, are not worth watching more than once in my opinion, there are many gems here, like Scandal and Drunken Angel, that I will no doubt return to again and again. All of my favorites are here too (7 Samurai, High and Low, etc. etc.)So, if you want the educational aspects of previous criterion releases (such as the great commentary tracks and interviews), stay away from this box set. If you are comfortable enjoying the master's work unadorned, this is a wonderful and economic way to do so.

Thank you so much Criterion for releasing all of their licensed Akira Kurosawa films in a single boxset! This is one epic collection in every sense of the word!Most arm-chair critics do not take into account or acknowledge companies like Criterion need to pay royalties for the right to release films! And the royalty often come with an expiration date. An example of this is Kurosawa's 1985 film RAN was released on DVD and was scheduled to be released on Blu-ray only to have the rights expired. It was reverted back to Studio Canal, who eventually decided to release their own Blu-ray/DVD instead (at the time of this writing). Royalties/licenses are primary reasons why the following 5 titles are missing from this collection to make it COMPLETE:The Quiet DuelDersu UzalaRanDreamsRhapsody in AugustI'm not an industry insider nor do I work for Criterion so I do not know the business decisions those 5 films aren't included in this collection. Remember, Criterion is business first, film purist second. My guess is it is not for the lack of trying to obtain the rights to release those 5 in this boxset. It's possible that either the license/copyright owners want too much money or there might not have been a great film print to begin with and it would take even longer for a set like this to be released! It's not like Criterion is sitting around with nothing to do =P. So, it isn't really Criterion's fault for not including every single film Akira Kurosawa has directed! This boxset is already monumental for the fact that Criterion took the time to do it in the first place! For that, I am grateful!Note: Those Who Make Tomorrow (1946) is not included because Kurosawa himself disowned this film because Toho studio forced him to direct it for the sake of union. Google it and you'll find out why. I've seen this film and Kurosawa is correct, it is not even close to being Kurosawa-lite! IMDB lists 31 FULL Length features that Kurosawa has directed, but it should be 30 total.Now, onto the set itself! Every single film in this set is presented in the usual excellent picture quality and audio presentation Criterion is known for! If you have purchased Criterion products in the past, you already know that they deliver the very BEST technical film presentation than anyone else in the industry. So if you were wondering what if Criterion skimped on quality, I would stop wondering. They did not skimp on anything in this boxset! All grain is preserved and the picture is clear and sharp and audio cleaned up so you can hear everything. Pretty good for 60+ year old film negatives on the early films!Ok, so there is probably only 1 film that you are wondering how they can squeeze what was once a 2 disc high bitrate release (from the 3 disc edition) down to 1 disc. I'm talking about the Seven Samurai, of course. I have to remind you that Criterion has released that title 3 times (correct me if I'm wrong). The first is the barebone movie only version during the early days of DVDs, it was not even anamorphic I don't think. The second release, Criterion took the video from the first, cleaned it a bit, and added more bonus/extra. There is a progressive improvement, but nothing like the third release (the 3disc edition). This latest edition is the definitive remastering of the film negative that is so sharp and awesome they needed 2 discs (it is an almost 4 hour movie after all). Anyways, back to this set. Did Criterion do Seven Samurai justice by squeezing what was once 2 discs into 1 disc? Absolutely. Why? Improvements in MPEG-2 compression knowledge and technology over the years. MPEG-2 is a VERY mature codec by now. It's been 13+ years since DVDs debuted. Every year or so it has improved more and more, squeezing more quality out of less disk space than previously required. So rest assured everything else is golden here. It's not the *SAME* as the 3 disc, but it also not as poor as the first 2 edition releases. But if you love Seven Samurai like I do, you should already own the 3disc release (or the Blu-Ray ;)That brings to me to why I gave this 3 stars. Before I purchased this AK 100: 25 Films of Akira Kurosawa boxset, the only Kurosawa Criterion I owned is the 3 disc Seven Samurai DVD because I had been waiting for a boxset like AK 100 to come along! The Seven Samurai is my favorite film of all time and Akira Kurosawa is my favorite director of all time, but I never bought AK movies on DVD because I've been waiting for a "definitive" Criterion collection to complete the collection all at one fell swoop. Unfortunately, Criterion did not release this set with those intentions in mind. This boxset included is only the films themselves and nothing more. Some of the films that were previously released like Hidden Fortress had bonus features. In my dream, I wished that Criterion included *ALL* previous double disc and the entire bonus content releases for ALL the AK films that they have. That would have made this more like $500-700 though. I know t...

I'm fortunate to be just starting my Akira Kurosawa collection. With this collection, I get 25 of his 30 movies in one set. I love the Criterion collection and have many titles from them. Great picture quality, sound and lots of extras.But be aware that this commemorative set contains just the movies but no extras. That means no commentaries, no documentaries and not even a trailer. You do get the original Japanese track plus english subtitles and, of course, the picture at the Criterion standard (excellent). The one bonus is the 96-page book with plenty of pictures, a 10-page essay on Akira Kurosawa by Stephen Prince and a one-page essay on each of the 25 movies. To me, it will be a great introduction.To compare, the full-version Criterion 'Seven Samurai' set spreads the movie over two dual-layer DVDs to maximize the picture quality and include two commentaries. In this 25-movie collection, the same movie is on only one dual-layer DVD. It is still very good by the way and it depends how much you value extras.For people of already collected the Kurosawa series, I hope Criterion will release separately the four titles not available out of loyalty to their gentle viewers.For me, I look forward to the holidays to start my introduction to Kurosawa's 50-year career.