Yojimbo /

Duration: 110

Year Published: 1961

Creator: Toho Co., Ltd.; produced and directed by Akira Kurosawa.

Format: 16mm

Color: Color

Sound: sound

Credits: Kurosawa, Akira, 1910-1998, film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor of moving image work.; Tanaka, Tomoyuki, film producer.; Kikushima, Ryūzō, 1914-1989, screenwriter, film producer.; Oguni, Hideo, 1904-1996, screenwriter.; Miyagawa, Kazuo, 1908-1999, director of cinematography.; Muraki, Yoshirō, production designer, costume designer.; Satō, Masaru, 1928-1999, composer (expression); Mifune, Toshirō, 1920-1997, actor.; Nakadai, Tatsuya, 1932- actor.; Shimura, Takashi, 1905-1982, actor.; Sawamura, Ikio, 1905-1975, actor.; Fujiwara, Kamatari, 1905-1985, actor.; Yamada, Isuzu, 1917-2012, actor.; Katō, Daisuke, 1911-1975, actor.; Tsukasa, Yōko, 1934- actor.; Audio Brandon Films.; Tōhō Kabushiki Kaisha.

Description: Released as a motion picture in 1961. 16mm distribution is undated.; Aspect ratio: 2.35:1; Pacific Film Archive collection; non-circulating. Access by appt. only. CBPF.; Screenplay, Ryuzo Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, Akira Kurosawa; photography, Kazuo Miyagawa; music, Masaru Sato; executive producers, Tomoyuki Tanaka, Ryuzo Kikushima.; Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Eijiro Tono, Kamatari Fujiwara, Tatsuya Nakadai, Isuzu Yamada, Atsushi Watanabi, Kiji Sazanka, Yoko Tsukasa, Daisuke Kato.; "In one of his best-known roles, Toshiro Mifune plays the boisterous, bullying, amoral ronin (masterless samurai) who calls himself simply Sanjuro ("Thirty Years Old"). When Sanjuro wanders into a town terrorized by an ongoing war between two factions, he decides to make a fistful of ryo—and have a little fun—by cleaning up the place. Hiring himself first to one group, then the other, he eventually encourages them to kill each other off. Alluding to Japan's own "gold rush" in the passing from feudal to capitalist society, Yojimbo was inspired by the American Western and combines its best elements—a remarkable authenticity, finely drawn characters, brilliant comedy, superb editing, and exquisite widescreen cinematography (by Kazuo Miyagawa). Kurosawa makes extensive and surprising use of the telephoto lens, so that the most violent swordfights take on a rare intimacy, and the heroic/antiheroic figure of Sanjuro seems to expand absurdly to epic proportions."--Judy Bloch, Pacific Film Archive program note.; PFA 1616-01-15472. D0003 donation 2012/12/31 CBPF; In Japanese with English subtitles.; PFA 1616-01-15472. CONDITION NOTE: Checked: light to moderate base scratches throughout; reel 3 has slightly heavier scratching; slightly muddy print; good to fair condition

Metadata Source:BERKELEY ART MUSEUM AND PACIFIC FILM ARCHIVE