The Yojimbo thread *inspired by Spinaroonie*

[medjay]

50 threads about 8-Mile and none about Yojimbo. Well, I've taken steps to fix that. Feel free to post to your heart's content about Yojimbo and all other things Kurosawa.









Will this tread thrive or crash and burn? I've already made my wager . . .

 

[modest mouse]

The movie that, in many ways, set the tone for cynical action films with a comedic flare.

Remade several times as a westernized film, with my favorite being Last Man Standing featuring Bruce Willis and a stunning soundtrack by Ry Cooder. A Shoot 'em up in the best sense of the word. (Not perfect, mind you, but quite good).

Yojimbo features what might be Mifunes finest performance. Thats tough to call and possibly incorrect but he creates a character we love, yet dont quite like... yet keep finding reason to root for. Of course we are in on it all with him so we are accomplices tot he deception.

Nevermind all of that, its a kick-ass samurai film too. As kinetic as B&W film can be.

Followed with the sequel: Sanjuro. Not as good but still worth a rental.

For those who are nto willign to tolerate either B&W nor subtitles: look for 'Ran'. Kurosawa.s masterpiece version of King Lear shot in vivid colors and told in sucha visual style as to render the subtitles almost unecessary.

 

[Minkey Boodle]

Shichinin No Samuraiga daisukii desu!!!

Toshiro Mifune was the coolest samurai actor man around.

Whoops!

 

[Pyper]

Hey, I'm seeing Ran on Friday for a class...

 

[Lasz]

Isnt Yojimbo a summon in Final Fantasy 10?

 

[medjay]

Isnt Yojimbo a summon in Final Fantasy 10?

Yes he is. Small world, isn't it?

 

[Phoenyx]

Isnt Yojimbo a Samurai rabbit in the comics?

 

[QuickDuck]

mmm good film and its been way to long since i have seen it or any other Kurasawa films.... looks like a trip to the video store is in order

 

[medjay]

One of my favorites is High and Low. Mifune gives a great performance in this one as a rich businessman who must decide if he will pay the ransom to kidnappers who have taken his chauffeur's son by mistake.

Not a samurai picture but a really good police proceedural and morality play. Based on an Ed McBain story, in fact.

 

[modest mouse]

High and Low hit me strangley upon first viewing. Ite felt 5 hours long. While it is a long film I later figured out what altered it in my mind.

Its essentially an American style suspense film, complete with welthy family, business take-overs, etc. But its enacted with a Japanese sensibility (at least Kurosawa's relatively Western Japanese sensiblity). So the template for sucha film gets brougt forward while the characters play themself out.

It fucked up my view of this type of crime drama for some time.

 

[medjay]

High and Low hit me strangley upon first viewing.

Its essentially an American style suspense film, complete with welthy family, business take-overs, etc. But its enacted with a Japanese sensibility (at least Kurosawa's relatively Western Japanese sensiblity). So the template for sucha film gets brougt forward while the characters play themself out.

What threw me was the drastic shift in tone and pacing in the middle. It's almost like two different films in one. I didn't find it overly long, however. And I was facinated by the police work in the second half. No shootouts or chase scenes; just sleuthing. You don't see that much nowadays.

In fact, it's one of the only Kurosawa films that I fell would be decently served by an American remake. The right cast and director could make this a really good contemporary thriller.

No one's mentioned Rashomon yet. This is the one I never tire of watching. It's my personal favorite and a real high water mark of filmmaking. Any other feelings on this one . . . ?







This thread is doing better than I thought. I expected only about 3 replys.

 

[Spinaroonie]

I would contribute, but everything MM said is true and sums it up nicely.

What was interesting was that the town was set up like your sterotypical Western.. US- western. That translation between the two has always fascinated me.

 

[Guest]

I vote for Rashomon. I'm not talking about Kurosawa, Mifune, nor movie either.