"Yojimbo"*** 1\2 (out of ****)
The first words of dialogue we hear in Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" (1961) are between a father and son arguing. The father accuses the son of wanting to run away from home to become a gangster. The son doesn't refute this statement but seeks to justify it. He is not going to live a long life, eating gruel he tells his father. He is going to eat good food, wear nice clothes and die young.
A wandering samurai (Toshiro Mifune) overhears the conversation and learns of the sad state of condition the town he has entered is in. The father complains to his wife, everyone is looking for easy money. Although the father is speaking about his son, you can't help but feel he is also referring to the unnamed samurai overhearing his conversation.
Whenever you hear someone discuss Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" they will very quickly mention the influence the movie had on Sergio Leone and his movie "A Fistful of Dollars" (1964) starring Clint Eastwood. They will also refer to "Yojimbo" as a dark comedy. These statements are true. But, there is more to "Yojimbo" that is being left out.
The town is divided into two gangs, each fighting for final control. The samurai sees an opportunity to exploit the issue. He can play both sides by pretending to offer his services to the highest bidder.
When you take this plot and consider the opening lines of dialogue, it would seem Kurosawa and his co-writer, Ryuzo Kikushima, are making a commentary on capitalism. The two gangs are led by businessmen. One is a silk trader and the other a sake merchant. There is actually more to "Yojimbo" than meets the eye.
Because movies are a reflection of society, it would benefit viewers to know a little something about Japan's economy during the time of the movie's release. After World War II Japan's economy would rebound tremendously. By the 1960s, Japan had America's backing as it began to industrialize and enact various domestic reforms. It would become one of the first developed countries in East Asia. Was Japan losing its identity? Was there too much of a Western influence? Would greed become all consuming? Fast forward a couple of decades and Japan would become the second largest economy, behind America, before the "lost decade" hit.
Interestingly Kurosawa was often accused by critics in Japan of being "too Western" himself. Watch Kurosawa's early movies; "Stray Dog" (1949), "Drunken Angel" (1948), or "Scandal" (1950), the movies were heavily influenced by American movies, in particular gangster movies. As a result, Kurosawa's movies were not always money makers in Japan. Contrasted with contemporaries, Yasujiro Ozu and Kenji Mizoguchi, who were regarded as the more traditional filmmakers. Making movies which reflected Japanese culture. Kurosawa on the other hand was making copycat American movies, ignoring tradition.
It is interesting then the way Kurosawa presents the samurai character and alters tradition. Much has been written about samurai culture. Generally speaking a samurai is an honorable, loyal man. He devotes himself to his master. Is the samurai in "Yojimbo" a honorable man? He doesn't seem motivated by honor but greed. He will work for whoever pays the most despite knowing full well neither gang is comprised of good men.
"Yojimbo" was Kurosawa's blending of the samurai movie and the American western. Of course this wasn't an entirely new concept for Kurosawa. His "Seven Samurai" (1954) served as the main source of inspiration for the American western, "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), released one year prior to "Yojimbo".
Our samurai is no different than the gunslinger that walks into the ghost town. There is the bad sheriff, inflicting fear in the townspeople. It is up to the stranger to restore law and order. That describes "Yojimbo" and "Seven Samurai" is essence.
Another way Kurosawa combines these two genres is by having a character, Unosuke (Tatsuya Nakadai), walk around with a pistol. He is literally the guy who brings a gun to a sword-fight. The character may remind you of Lee Van Cleef. The pistol, I believe, also symbolizes the end of an era. The sword, like the samurai, will become a thing of the past.
A majority of the movie's praise must be given to Toshiro Mifune, a frequent Kurosawa collaborator. The two worked on "Rashomon" (1950), "Seven Samurai", "I Live In Fear" (1955), "Throne of Blood" (1957) and "The Bad Sleep Well" (1960) and so many other countless masterpieces.
Mifune is a bit like Buster Keaton in this movie. He is always thinking. The viewer is constantly seeing a mind at work. The samurai is always devising a plan. Leaving the viewer to wonder, are his intentions noble? It may take a while but eventually we figure out what the samurai is after.
Who knew Mifune could be so humorous?
It has been suggested, though refuted by Kurosawa, that Dashiell Hammett's "Red Harvest" was the inspiration for the movie. Kurosawa says "The Glass Key", also written by Hammett, was what inspired him. I find this interesting because it is another example of the Western influence on Kurosawa. He was also a fan of John Ford. Pay attention to how Kurosawa films the landscape of the town.
"Yojimbo" proved to be quite a financial success which prompted a sequel, "Sanjuro" (1962), which is also entertaining and I would dare say funnier however it wasn't as influential as "Yojimbo".
I wouldn't say this is Kuroswa's best film, "Rashomon" or "Seven Samurai" may have the honor of that title, but "Yojimbo" is still essential viewing for any movie buff.
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