Yojimbo (1961)

Yojimbo follows Sanjuro, a clever, masterless samurai who wanders into a small 19th‑century Japanese town torn apart by two rival criminal factions. Seeing an opportunity, he plays the gangs against one another—offering his services as a bodyguard to both—while secretly manipulating events to weaken them. His schemes are complicated when the reckless Unosuke, armed with a foreign revolver, strikes back: Sanjuro is beaten, an innkeeper he helped is kidnapped, and violence erupts into a bloody showdown that forces the ronin to return and finish the job. Watching the film you’ll get a lean, suspenseful mix of strategy and swordplay—equal parts tense standoffs, darkly comic moments, and sudden brutality—set in a gritty rural town full of gamblers, profiteers and moral decay. The pace is economical and the plotting clever: you see the plan unfold, fail, adapt and culminate in a final, satisfying confrontation. Expect stark period atmosphere, sharp action, and a protagonist who uses wit as skillfully as his blade, delivering both thrills and a clear sense of justice reclaimed.

Actors: Toshirô Mifune, Eijirô Tôno, Tatsuya Nakadai

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Runtime: 110 min

Genres: Action, Drama, Thriller

8.0 /10 93 /100 8.2 /10 8.5 /10