Yojimbo

Akira Kurosawa

Japan

1961

110 minutes

2.35:1

Japanese

52

Synopsis

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.

Cast

SanjuroToshiro Mifune
UnosukeTatsuya Nakadai
NuiYoko Tsukasa
OrinIsuzu Yamada
InokichiDaisuke Kato
SeibeiSeizaburo Kawazu
TokuemonTakashi Shimura
YoichiroHiroshi Tachikawa
Kohei's sonYosuke Natsuki
GonjiEijiro Tono

Credits

DirectorAkira Kurosawa
ScreenplayRyuzo Kikushima and Akira Kurosawa
ProducerTomoyuki Tanaka and Ryuzo Kikushima
CinematographyKazuo Miyagawa
Production DesignYoshiro Muraki
MusicMasaru Sato

Disc Features

  • Restored high-definition digital transfer (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
  • Optional Dolby Digital 3.0 soundtrack, preserving the original Perspecta simulated-stereo effects (DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition)
  • Audio commentary by film historian and Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince
  • A 45-minute documentary on the making of Yojimbo, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create, featuring Kurosawa, actor Tatsuya Nakadai, production designer Yoshiro Muraki, and longtime Kurosawa collaborator Teruyo Nogami
  • Theatrical teaser and trailer
  • Stills gallery of behind-the-scenes photos
  • New and improved English subtitle translation
  • PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Alexander Sesonske and comments from Kurosawa and his cast and crew

From the Current

Yojimbo

by Alexander Sesonske Jan 22, 2007

If we adapt the language of horse breeders to the genealogy of films, one might write Yojimbo, by Shane out of Scarface.But while this odd coupling does suggest the most obvious hereditary traits of Kurosawa’s black comedy, it fails to capture the joy with which . . .

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Available Editions

Yojimbo Criterion DVD Add to Cart

DVD

1 Disc

SRP: $39.95

Criterion Store price

$31.96

Yojimbo Criterion Blu-Ray Add to Cart

23 Mar 2010

Blu-Ray

1 Disc

SRP: $39.95

Criterion Store price

$31.96

Also Available in

AK 100: 25 Films by Akira Kurosawa  DVD Add to Cart

DVD

25 Discs

SRP: $399.00

Criterion Store price

$319.00

Yojimbo/Sanjuro Box Set Criterion DVD Add to Cart

DVD Box Set

2 Discs

SRP: $69.95

Criterion Store price

$55.96

Yojimbo/Sanjuro Box Set Criterion Blu-Ray Add to Cart

23 Mar 2010

Blu-Ray Box Set

2 Discs

SRP: $69.95

Criterion Store price

$55.96