STAFF PICK: Denali Meyer
The incomparable Toshiro Mifune stars in Akira Kurosawa's visually stunning and darkly comic Yojimbo. To rid a terror-stricken village of corruption, wily masterless samurai Sanjuro turns a range war between two evil clans to his own advantage. Remade twice, by Sergio Leone and Walter Hill, this exhilarating genre-twister remains one of the most influential and entertaining films of all time.
95%
"As effortlessly engaging as it is widely influential, Yojimbo represents Kurosawa at the peak of his powers --
and lays the groundwork for the modern American western."
ROTTEN TOMATOES
"Even Eastwood's Man With No Name is inspired, perhaps, by the samurai in Yojimbo."
ROGER EBERT
"A textbook example of the perfect crowd-pleaser."
SLANT MAGAZINE
"If the plot sounds familiar, it's probably because Leone stole it for A Fistful of Dollars."
TIME OUT
"Rousing, good story, told with vigor and visual excitement by Akira Kurosawa,
and splendidly acted by Toshiro Mifune, this has ideal remake material
for a Yank company."
VARIETY