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Sometimes
after only a few minutes of watching a film something occurs
that is a sure indication that I will like the movie. This
indicator occurs in Yojimbo when the ronin walks into the
barren town and is greeted by a dog carrying a human hand
in its mouth, obviously having just scavenged its supper.
Mmmm, finger licking good!
Sanjuro
Kuwabatake (legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune) is a
wondering samurai for hire in 1860 Japan. He wonders into
a strange village where something is obviously amiss. Sensing
there is money to be made, he soon learns that the village
is undergoing a gang war. One gang controls the brothel and
the silk, while the other gang controls the sake. Deaths are
bloody and frequent, and the greedy cooper has problems keeping
up with the demand for coffins. Sanjuro soon involves himself
in the conflict, selling his services to the higher bidder,
or so the bosses would believe.
Thanks to
my hesitance in renting the videotape, my recent viewing of
the DVD marks my first encounter with Yojimbo. But I had seen
the two remakes, Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars and Walter
Hill's Last Man Standing. The latter film is dreadful, but
Leone's version of Yojimbo was revolutionary for the western
genre, with Clint Eastwood finally breaking through in film
after several years of television work. But now I see that
I gave Leone too much credit. The credit belongs to Kurosawa,
whose Yojimbo was copied extensively by Leone. This came as
a surprise to me, as I always pictured A Fistful of Dollars
as a loose remake with much more violence and grittiness than
its predecessor. The violence is not graphic except for some
severed limbs and blood, but the impact must have been dramatic
during the innocent days of 1961. I doubt the decency code
would have allowed this film to be made in Hollywood, as it
surely would have torn the country's moral fabric asunder
(although some films like Psycho (1960) had recently raised
the threshold on violence and disturbing images.)
Yojimbo
is Kurosawa's version of a mindless summer action pic. Despite
being dumbed down by Kurosawa's standards, Yojimbo is still
not rapid action in the Hollywood sense, although it is faster
than Kurosawa's usual pacing. He keeps the story moving, with
the 110 minutes employed economically for narrative purposes.
Several action scenes end quickly, but they are thrilling
nonetheless. Like many action movies, the bad guys seem oblivious
to the possibility of impending death. How much money do these
guys get paid, anyway? And does the money have any use in
1860 Japan except for the purchasing sake and access to prostitutes?
Not that they would spend the money on anything else, I suppose.
None of the characters are written extensively enough to betray
any hint of realism, although Sanjuro is the only person with
any significant screen time.
Interestingly,
Kurosawa does not really make Sanjuro sympathetic, unless
cockiness and screen presence qualify for sympathy (some people
would say they do!). When Sanjuro does a good deed, Kurosawa
makes him pay for it. That'll teach him to stray from his
cutthroat mercenary ways! Yojimbo
was evidently very successful, in Japan at least, eventually
spawning a sequel the following year, Sanjuro (which is also
being released on DVD by Criterion very soon.)
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
The picture
is quite pleasing, especially for 60's era film. Criterion
usually delivers a detailed, aesthetically impressive image
exceeding one's expectations, and Yojimbo is no different.
Yojimbo does exhibit occasional scars including the reel change
markers, but otherwise contrast, brightness, and sharpness
are as good as I expect this film will ever look, barring
an expensive restoration.
Alas, black
and white anamorphic transfers are nearly nonexistent at this
point in time on DVD. Undoubtedly, this non-anamorphic 2.35:1
transfer would have benefited from such enhancement, at least
for those people owning or planning to own a widescreen television.
However, in spite of this omission, the transfer is still
quite good.
Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?
The audio
is a bit more problematic. Unless the volume is set low, a
hiss is present throughout the film. Fortunately it is consistent,
so it is not that big of a distraction. I was able to easily
understand the dialogue and other sounds despite the hiss,
meaning the audio is still passable. Dynamic range is very
limited, which is unfortunate considering the considerable
role that sound plays in this movie. Music sounds harsh, and
dialogue is adequate but somewhat hollow. However, this is
expected for a film of the time, and overall the soundtrack
is generally fair to good.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There? Yojimbo
is one of Criterion's discs containing sparse supplements.
The disc contains a liner essay, a widescreen trailer, and
in a nice nod to home theater enthusiasts, color bars to add
in calibrating your monitor for the best possible presentation.
Though certainly not brimming with extras compared to some
of Criterion's other feature-laden releases, the disc is priced
lower at $29.95.
Parting Thoughts
Yojimbo
tells a classic story, overseen by one of the great directors
of the medium. Of course, Kurosawa films are not for everyone,
so a rental might be the best bet for those of you still harboring
doubts. But those who value Kurosawa will find this disc a
worthy addition to their collection.
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