Check out the sequel "Sanjuro", it's a very well made sequel, more humour, more fights and a bloody iconic final duel scene. Also, Throne of Blood, wich is also from Kurosawa and feature the same actor, Toshiro Mifune, on the protagonist role, this one is a japanese Macbeth tale about power and betrayal with some scary supernatural scenes. The actor who played Unosuke (the guy with the gun), Tatsuya Nakadai, is also a regular in the samurai films from Kurosawa and other directors. Check out Sword of Doom, were Nakadai plays a evil psycho samurai that only seeks to feed his bloodlust, killing everyone that crosses his path, this film was suposed to be the first of a trilogy, but the other two movies were never made because of how bloody and violent the first one was, so some plotlines are left open and it ends on a cliffhanger, but is a fenomenal performance by Nakadai and got an epic final massacre scene.
32:50 What Mifune does there is absolutely incredible, the speed and precision, almost without cuts, violence cruel and real. I want you two to try that speed and precision, you imagined that you did it as a kid, but you did not. Modern audiences are conditioned by bad actors who can not move and flashy camera angles and movements that hide the bad technique. Mifune, there was real as a true samurai.
The 'bad guy with a gun' actor went on to star in a highly recommended samurai movie "Sword Of Doom" in addition to the other Kurosawa movies film geeks know and love. Ran, Throne Of Blood, The Hidden Fortress, Seven Samurai, Rashomon and Sanjiro are all fantastic.
He's still alive too. He looks better in his 90s than I do in my 30s. He is also an extra in 7 Samurai. Oh, and he's the lead in Harakiri, possibly my favorite film he's in.
Yojimbo was the film Kevin Costner took Whitney Houston to in the Bodyguard. As a ronin, a samurai who has lost his position, he is now basically doing bodyguard work while looking for a permanent position. Kurosawa was a huge fan of the films of John Ford, so that’s where the Western feel comes from. Mifune’s character Sanjuro Kuwabatake returns in Kurosawa’s more comedic Tsubaki Sanjuro (1962), in which he confronts Nakadai Tatsuya again (playing a different character - without a gun). I often use stills from Sanjuro for the videos on my Go channel, due to the use of a floor Go board in the ‘time passing’ montage.
Yojimbo is my favourite movie of all time and Mifune is my favourite actor. I had the fortune to see this in a proper cinema when they premiered the newly restored version. The followup Sanjuro is also amazing
Great reaction. My favourite Kurosawa is SEVEN SAMURAI (1954.) It's a challenge - 31/2 hours long - but IMHO its a masterpiece, particularly the action scenes. It also features TOSHIRO MIFUNE. As you commented SEVEN SAMURAI, like YOJIMBO, was remade into a western - THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. But as you hint at, that was a circular process as Kurosawa was a huge fan of the westerns of director JOHN FORD. When both directors met, Kurosawa allegedly told Ford 'You really like dust' and Ford said, 'You really like rain.'
Yojimbo was based on the Dashiell Hammett crime novel Red Harvest, along with elements from another Hammett novel, The Glass Key. The unknown samurai in the movie is based on Hammett's unnamed detective, The Continental Op, from Red Harvest, which is also the inspiration for Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name in A Fistful of Dollars, which was a remake of Yojimbo.
You guys MUST watch more Kurosawa films. If you're like basically every cinephile in the world, I guarantee that you will be amazed and fall in love. A great place to start might be with "The Hidden Fortress" and then after that there are a huge number of superb films made by Kurosawa. In my opinion, and that of many others, he was the greatest director of all time.
I still find it shocking that so many young film buffs are ignorant of film history. To have never heard of Kurosawa as a film buff is crazy to me. I understand human beings in general have a recency bias and history tends to be a big turn off for many people, but if you are truly interested in film or aspire to be a filmmaker there is so much that can be learned from the past. Classic Japanese film in general had had a huge influence on Western cinema as well as inspiring a lot of manga and anime that a lot of young people are familiar with. And you're missing out some great filmmakers like Jean Renoir, Satyajit Ray, Ingmar Bergman (and I know you've done one on RUclips), Kenji Mizoguchi, Buster Keaton, Luis Buñuel, Howard Hawks and Fritz Lang. But I also understand that the RUclips algorithm kind of forces you into doing a rather narrow band of films. I'd like to believe you guys watch a much broader variety of films on your own time. This movie takes place at a time (1860) where a lot of samurai who were formerly employed by powerful lords (daimyos) found themselves without employment because their daimyo's property had been confiscated by the Shogunate. So a lot of ex-samurai became ronin or masterless. Many got employed by merchants as protection, but many just became bandits so they were looked down upon.
It’s not about being ignorant, and it’s definitely not about not wanting to learn the history, A film buff has to start somewhere, someone might be really into films but hasn’t watched all films ever made, like, is it not surprising anymore because we’ve now watched this? Or is there another specific film we need to have watched in order to be classed as film buffs? because there are a lot of films to get through 😅 do we need to complete films? because that takes time
@@CinemaRules I understand it's very much a me thing. I'm one of those weirdos who when they get into something I need to know everything about it right away. So when I got into movies in college I just got lists of great movies and just went through them one by one in a pretty short amount of time (and I'm talking about a couple hundred films in a two year span both in theaters and on home video). As you can tell I have no social life. And yes there's no definitive baseline for cineastery(?), but it seems like with more options to see movies there's actually less inclination to see more variety. But then I'm just an old man shaking my fists at clouds and telling you kids to get off my lawn.
@@notjustforhackers4252 I've never been a big fan of the Cahiers writers as critics, especially since I never fully bought into the auteur theory. But as filmmakers they were great.
@@edwardsighamony what movies were on this list of great movies, we’d love to know so we can work our way through them, we can also tell you if we’ve seen any already or not
Great reaction guys. Impossible to choose just one Kurosawa movie so here's a few non samurai ones that might slip under the radar. Ikiru, High and Low & Stray Dog. The gunslinger also starred in a brilliant movie called 'The Sword of Doom' which is definitely worth checking out.
Writing this before I've watched your reaction but... I've been a fan of Kurosawa since I was a teenager; I spent my pre-teen and early teens watching a lot of old movies and Kurosawa was almost always a treat. I prefer his samurai movies but one of my absolute favourites--saw once when I was 13 and 27 years later still has a hold on me--is Ikiru (English title: To Live) set in the early 1950s. It's about the inefficiency and aggravating nature of bureaucracy and how to find meaning in life. EDIT: The samurai in this movie is a ronin (a wanderer, drifter; this word is (was?) used in modern Japan to describe a High School graduate who hasn't gotten into university yet). A ronin is a samurai whose master (the lord, daimyo, they served) has died, has been "fired" for various reasons, or someone who's chosen to swear off their allegiances. Ronin didn't have a great reputation, as a samurai who's master has died should commit seppuku, ritual suicide, or at least find new employment with another lord. I'm pretty sure this film also takes place during the Edo period during which there was an uptick of ronin. Some became bodyguards (which incidentally is the title of this movie) or caravan guards, other became bandits or gang members. A samurai's idea of honourable conduct would be a bit different to how we think it is as well.
If subtitles are actually an issue for you guys I'm so glad I grew up watching everything subtitled (except pure kids' stuff that was of course dubbed into Swedish) because when you're used to it (trained in it I guess) it becomes second nature and I've never felt I've missed anything on screen bc of subtitles. So basically you need to watch a lot more foreign language films (like all of Kurosawa's films) and practice. 😉
LoL. I had that issue up until around age 18 when I entered a Blockbuster store back in the mid 90s. I couldn't decide on what to rent. So I went to the foreign section to see what they had. I saw the title Seven Samurai and was like "Samurais....cool. But its Japanese with English subtitles. Damn it 🤦♂️ What the hell. Let me give it a try." I'm glad I decided to rent it. Seven Samurai is one of my favorite films ever now. After that, all I wanted to do was rent more foreign films. There are so many great foreign films out there that people are missing out on because of their laziness (or lack of enthusiasm) to read words on a screen. I mean, we read words on a screen every day when we open our phones and go on FB, Twitter, Instagram.... As an American myself, i wish more Americans would watch foreign films with English subtitles. Its typical "American arrogance" and "nationalistic pride" that prevents them from going "from ignorance to culturally enlightened."
That, as they say, is how you get to Carnegie Hall. PRACTICE! Of course, if practice makes perfect yet there is no such thing as perfection, why practice?!!
Yes, and both this studio and the one that did Bergman’s films are the best at natural language in their subtitles, as well as correct spelling. It is a chore to read badly-translated versions, and even more irritating nowadays is the AI-generated subtitles.
Same, finn here. Subtitles were never an issue for me. Watching foreign language movies not only taught me English as a kid but has made me appreciate both the differences and similarities in languages of the world, along with the way people of different cultures and languages express themselves through the way they speak. I'd never pick a dubbed movie over subitled one because so much of the original art and expression is lost. That and even though I don't understand most of them, I can still recognize languages by hearing them spoken.
If you want to see a third version of this story, watch "Last Man Standing," which stars Bruce Willis and Christopher Walken as gangsters. It's criticized mostly by film snobs because of its lineage, but it's so much fun. You won't have any of the problems you had with "Fist Full of Dollars" and "Yojimbo." It's directed by Walter Hill.
I'd recommend Zatoichi (about a blind samurai) as well as a crossover film called Zatoichi vs Yojimbo (yes, it's the same character as in the movie you watched). The Lone Wolf and Cub movies are good to.
This is my third favorite samurai movie !! 10- Rurouni Kenshin (anime movie) 9-The Last Samurai 8-Samurai Assassin 7-Samurai Rebellion 6-Ran 5- Twilight Samurai 4- Harakiri 3-Yojimbo 2-Throne of Blood 1- Seven Samurai
Another difference between this and fistful of dollars is how Kurosawa deals with the death scenes. Its alot more meaningful and impactful Seven Samurai is a must its hugely influential and possibly in alot of peoples eyes the greatest movie ever made
The chopping off the gangster's arm, was redone by George Lucas in "Star Wars", during the Cantina scene, when Obi-Wan did the very same thing to that braggadocios bully who wanted to kill Luke (heck, ALL arm chopping scenes in any SW feature, owes a debt of gratitude to "Yojimbo").
Samurai was warriors serving under Emperors & warlords. Sanjuro is a lone samurai without a master known as Ronin. That’s Why he’s not bound to the Code of Honour.
Glad you started watching movies from the Master. And yes, Kurosawa was strongly influenced by the westerns of John Ford. I hope you will continue this journey with other of his movies like Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Ran (1980s epic and in color), Hidden Fortress (where Lucas got his idea for C3PO and R2D2 from) and Sanjurno (the sequel to Yojimbo)
And, of course, George Lucas supposedly originally wanted Toshiro Mifune to play Obi-Wan Kenobi. But, apparently, Fox balked at that and Mifune always struggled with English and might not have taken the part in the first place. It was also important for Lucas to secure a "star" (for legitimacy, for securing financing) and he really, really, really lucked out when Alec Guinness took the part to help out this ambitious, neophyte director. Mifune, as a presence, would've been a fantastic Kenobi, but he couldn't have sold the dialogue (at least not in English).
I took a friend to see Seven Samurai at a local theater 10 years ago. This was the same theater where I saw a noon to midnight Hong Kong movie marathon in 1993. I left the Hong Kong cinema marathon wanting more and for 5 years all I watched films from there non-stop. So , I told my friend that after watching Seven Samurai he will be hooked. I was right. He boight all Kurasawa films on Blu Ray as well as the 25 film Zatoichi The Blind a swordsman films. I also took him to see Shogun Assassin, which ie a condensed version of the Lone Wolf And Cub films. Yojimbo is m6 favorite Kurasawa film. A close second is Throne.Of Blood.😊
If I may offer different kind of samurai-movies, then I would very much recommend "The Twilight Samurai"(Tasogare Seibei) which is set into the late Tokugawa period in mid 1800's, when samurai are mainly bureucrats and fighting days are long over. It claimed tons of awards in Japan and is an incredibly beautiful movie. The other movie I would recommend is Kurosawa's last script, directed by his assistant-director of 30-some years. It's called After the Rain (Ame agaru). Its a slow paced movie but worth the watch!
Samurai, while portrayed as honourable and noble, were not too different from hired blades to robber-barons. Usually, a warlord/governor of a province would hire on Samurai as bodyguards or even elite warriors within their army. There was a sense of honour and discipline, as many of these samurai were trained at birth to become warriors; however, that didn't mean that they weren't ruthless to the peasants or lower-classes. Whenever a village didn't pay enough taxes, samurai would usually be sent to extract what was owed; it was even common for samurai to kill peasantry for a slight to their honour, or even just to rob them, and they would not be held accountable. If anything, it was quite common for peasantry to despise samurai or ronin because of their history of raiding and pillaging their villages; keep in mind, these warriors were considered untouchable, only by their lords could they be reprimanded or if they committed the most grievous of acts.
Thanks for a great reaction! Honestly pausing when it gets too confusing. :D I'm not mad at Leone remaking this as a western. Any good story can be retold again and again. When it is theatre nobody think it's odd when a classic play is reworked and put in different settings, but when it is done with a movie everyone goes bananas screaming theft. Speaking of that, the best version of Macbeth I've seen is Kurosawa's Throne of Blood (1957). Some things that seem almost fantasy when set in medieval Europe feels to fit in better in feudal Japan. Also, speaking of inspiration for other movies; Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress (1958) has a lot of inspiration for Star Wars. Everyone borrows from what they have seen because nobody lives in a vacuum. As long as the "thieves" admit their "crime", I'm OK with it. My fav Kurosawa must be Ikiru (1952). Not only is it a great movie by itself, but it also gives an insight into post war Japan's struggle with a generational shift where the younger people easily adapted to foreign (mostly American) influences. I don't think the movie was made to depict it, but it was reality then and I've rarely seen it elsewhere. It's hard to choose only one. Dersu Uzala (1975) and Ran (1985) are magnificent masterpieces and Dodes'ka-den (1970) touched me deeply. And at last - if you want to see another remake of this story, watch Last Man Standing (1996) starring Bruce Willis and set in the days of Prohibition in a small Texas town. Different but very much the same. Not as good as Kurosawa or Leone though...
I cannot tell a lie: I’ve never seen A Fistful of Dollars… I just never got into Spaghetti Westerns (a personal quirk… maybe because of the hollow sound that comes from dubbing). Yojimbo, however, is a personal favorite! My favorite Kurosawa film (aside from Seven Samurai which is unbeatable) is his crime drama/police procedural High and Low (1963), it’s not only a gripping story about a kidnapping, it also raises many ethical questions giving the audience a lot to think over.
A Fistful Of Dollars is not just close, it's scene for scene from Yojimbo. Samurai are a class of warrior minor nobility, usually sworn to a clan lord, but if they are not, they are called Ronin, and were often mercenary drifters.
Essential Kurosawa films 1. Ran 2. Rashomon 3. Seven Samurai 4. Throne of Blood 5. High & Low 6. Ikiru All are masterpieces and he is definitely my favorite director.
On the issue of the main character being questionable, it comes down to the difference between Samurai, who were seen as honourable warriors of the highest virtue and Ronin, Samurais who’ve allowed their master to be killed on their watch and are forced to survive by hiring out their skills. Ronin were seen as failures, or lesser than other Samurai. People knew they were skilled, but they had no honour, so didn’t deserve the respect.
I don't know much about Japanese history, but I think in the nineteenth century the social/political system in Japan, including the position of Samurai, was collapsing. This left a lot of Samurai roaming around the country. If you want to watch Kurosawa copy someone, you can watch *Ran* , which is an interpretation of Shakespeare's King Lear.
fun fact, Final Fantasy X has a character based on Yojimbo. It's an Aeon Summon named Yojimbo, it's a Samurai summon who you you pay money for it to attack the more money you give him the higher damage he does.
Fistful of Dollars was a western remake of Yojimbo. However, Yojimbo itself was based on the Dashiell Hammett gangster novel, Red Heavest. The whole thing then went full circle with the Bruce Willis film Last Man Standing, which was a remake of Fistful of Dollars as a prohibition era gangster film.
As a huge aficionado of Japanese cinema, I think Shaun is flat out wrong when he criticizes the fight choreography. If you compare sword fights in 60's Japanese cinema with sword fights in American cinema of the 60's, the difference in quality becomes objectively apparent. American swinging swords look like they are playing baseball. However, Shaun is spot on about the criticism of the lack of sound effects. A this point in Japanese cinema, jidaigeki films (Japanese swordplay films) were not incorporating sound effects of "slicing and dicing" into the film. "Yojimbo" came out in 1961. Sounds effects for swords "slicing and dicing" didn't become commonplace until 1963. These sound effects make a world of difference in the fight scenes and the films without the sound effects, such as "Yojimbo," suffer greatly by their absence. The fights are so much more exciting and visceral when these sound effects are present.
Japanese dialog in stories also tends to be pretty oblique at times, so losing plot threads or motivations isn't unknown, esp. if you have to follow via subtitles while trying to keep track of what's happening visually.
As for the final fight choreography I think it's quite fitting that it's sort of mundane and "bland". The violence isn't "cool" or stylized or visually impactful because real violence isn't and in this case it's a highly skilled swordsman cutting down a group of nobodies with no clue, and he doesn't need anything more fanciful than one-two cuts on each to kill them off like the, in this scene, insignificant basically nuisances that they are. There's no fighting going on, only killing.
I have this in my collection from the Criterion Collection. Its a great Samurai movie! A Fistful Of Dollars is an unathourized remake of Yojimbo, while the 1996 Western Action film Last Man Standing is inspired by Yojimbo.
Yojimbo and A Fistful of Dollars are both based on Dashiell Hammett's noir crime novel Red Harvest, and both Toshiro Mifune's samurai and Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name character is based on Hammett's unnamed detective, The Continental Op.
For a great modern Samurai film, try Takeshi Kitano's ZATOICHI. For a very different Kurosawa movie, you should watch DREAMS (Even has a brief cameo from Martin Scorcese playing Vincent Van Gogh.)
A Fistful of Dollars began as an official sequel where they were going to pay for the rights. But then the producer "forgot" to do that, and they got sued and had to pay far more. It wasn't Leone's fault, he thought he was doing a legit remake. Clint also knew he was in a film that had been made before.
I've watched almost all of Kurosawa's films, and Yojimbo is one of the hardest to follow, especially for a newbie. I highly recommend watching more! The sequel to Yojimbo, Sanjuro, is a lot more fun. Kurosawa's other samurai films--Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood (Macbeth), Kagemusha, and Ran (King Lear)--are all phenomenal and fairly easy to follow. Seven Samurai is considered one of the greatest films of all time, worldwide. Ran isn't too far behind, imo. The use of color in Kagemusha and Ran is incredible. He also did a number of excellent film noirs--Stray Dog, The Bad Sleep Well (loosely based on Hamlet), and my personal favorite, High and Low. And then there's Ikiru, which was remade as a British film last year--Living, starring Bill Nighy. You'll see the same actors pop up in a lot of these, particularly Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, and Tatsuya Nakadai--all so versatile! Also, Seven Samurai explores they dynamics of the different social classes in medieval Japan. The Samurai were a warrior caste, just under nobility. But if they weren't in the employ of a feudal lord, they had to fend for themselves and take work where they could find it. Samurai got bad reputations for taking advantage of peasants--pillage and rape were not uncommon, from what I understand. So villagers would be especially suspicious of Samurai around their daughters.
Japanese has three "alphabets" (syllabaries, technically). The one we Westerners tend to gush over as "cool" is called Katakana. It's the slick one with relatively simple characters that are used a lot in signage and titles. The other two are Hiragana, which is curvy-looking (it was invented for poetry in ancient times), and Kanji which is just Chinese used for Japanese language.
Feudal Japan ( medieval Japan ) gave Samurai the "legal right" to kill without justification. As such "normal people" feared and avoided them. Kurosawa is a master, do take a look at his other movies. Toshiro Mifune is fantastic in anything he's in. Check out Takashi Miike's film "Blade of the Immortal (2017)" you'll get a kick out of that one lads. Rashomon (1950) is my favourite Kurosawa.
Nice reaction, guys. And some story techniques may not work for you, even if they work for others, and the reverse may be true, too. As for subtitles, the company doing restoration and remastering of so many classic movies with new subtitles usually does a great job on Kurosawa, Bergman, Fellini, and many others. Glad you recognised some of the similarities to A Fistful of Dollars. Akira Kurosawa was an amazing auteur director. He made jidaigeki (Japanese costume drama - and yes, George Lucas adapted the word to "jedi") movies and modern movies. Kurosawa was greatly influenced by seeing older Japanese movies and Hollywood movies, including Westerns directed by John Ford. Btw, you mentioned that Kurosawa was a big influence on George Lucas, and if you see the movie Hidden Fortress (also starring Toshiro Mifune as a different sort of samurai), with a princess and samurai general in disguise and on the run behind enemy lines trying to get to safety, with two peasants along for the ride (just substitute droids and you get the idea) you can see the origins of the biggest movie of 1977. Also, Kurosawa was a game-changing director for many technical reasons in his film-making. In addition to that, specifically in his jidaigeki movies, he made the fight scenes look realistic, which was very shocking at the time to Japanese audiences, and at first reduced the popularity of his movies in that country. Traditionally, samurai fight scenes had been choreographed to look like elegant dance routines, but Kurosawa WANTED them to look brutal, fast, and realistic. Other Japanese directors' samurai movies from that time may show more blood, but the fights end up looking more ritualistic rather than realistic. Tarantino had fun with this tradition in Kill Bill, Pt 1. Yojimbo and Sanjuro (the 2nd tale of the warrior with no name), and even Seven Samurai (in which Mifune plays a very different character), are not about the great age of samurai warriors servings Japan's emperor or regional warlords. These are tales from a time when Japanese central control had broken down, when samurai warriors had to seek work or starve, and at this time such freelancers (swords for hire) were referred to as "ronin". More great Kurosawa movies? Okay, here's a list: Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Ikiru, Throne of Blood (adaptation of Macbeth), Sanjuro, Hidden Fortress, Kagemusha, High and Low, Ran (adaptation of King Lear). Thanks, again!
You guys need to watch YOJIMBO a few more times, because it works on so many levels (as an Eastern Western, as a straight-up comedy, as a satire). It would probably help you both to realize that you're really missing some key things, especially that the "hero" is a MASTERLESS samurai, generally unwanted and wandering aimlessly after the dissolution of the samurai. Kurosawa's doing much, much more with this film than you're appreciating-- and doing it with a light touch and with great storytelling economy. And, make no mistake, Toshiro Mifune was the original genuine badass: he practically invented the archetype and almost everyone since, from Eastwood to Keanu's John Wick, has been, in part, an homage to Mifune (not just in YOJIMBO, but in so many other movies). He could be droll, he could be funny, he could do ferocious action, he could do ferocious dramatics. He's the movie star you'd NEVER fuck with, ever. The man's a gawd-damn cinematic titan.
Where do I start, other than keep it up, fellas - the most honest reactions on da toob! 1. Toshiro Mifune is my favourite actor. Influenced many. 2. Kurosawa is copied/referenced EVERYWHERE. Leone knew he was remaking this (albeit without permission). Check also "Go home to your mother" in Kill Bill, or a dog with a hand in his mouth in Wild At Heart. 3. Yojimbo is probably the most fun (based on an older story), but keep checking out more Kurosawa - not just the chanbara movies. He was indeed influenced by John Ford westerns. 4. Also consider Masaki Kobayashi. Mostly known for Hara Kiri, but the sublime and eerie Kwaidan is a magnificent choice for Halloween ghost stories Every decade or so a particular country rules cinema. This came as Japan was handing over to France and Italy, before Hollywood regained the high ground in the early 70s (PLEASE do Easy Rider!)
Now watch the Islandic film Hrafninn Flygtur 1984 (When the Raven Flies) it is the best of the remakes and the one that differs the most from the original story. There are two more Yojimbo remakes: The Warrior and the Sorceress 1984 and Last Man Standing 1996.
Funny you mention Star Wars. George Lucas was a huge fan of Kurosawa. Many elements of Kurosawa's "Hidden Fortress" were used as the basis for the original SW film.
Aw man! This is cool. Now you have to check out the once upon a time in China trilogy, house of flying daggers, Azumi/Azumi 2 and The Rurouni Kensihin films ( these specifically as the story and frenetic action is insane ) and, The swordsman.
Yes! A true masterpiece in every sense of the word, an absolute classic. Watch basically any of Kurosawa's movies and you will be amazed. You NEED to watch Seven Samurai.
So you've discovered one of the great directors of true cinema. There's lots of recommendations in the comment section so I'll just add my favorites: Rashamon, Seven Samurai and the best RAN, which is his version of Macbeth. Besides the great storytelling it a masterpiece of cinematography.
Basically, if you were an aspiring film-maker in the 60's and 70's, then Kurosawa's work was a major influence in those generations of future film-makers, and in particular, Westerns made from that point on took a lot of inspiration from Kurosawa movies (like you said, The Magnificent Seven is an adaptation of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai). Regarding Samurai, the Highly Idealized Image of the Samurai, which was created from the 17th Century onwards (the concept of Bushido was made-up after the Samurai class had become outdated, when the era of war and strife within Japan was ended by the Tokugawa Shogunate) was one of Highly Honourable, Dutiful and Faithful retainers, willing to die for honour, but the actual Samurai weren't like that. Some were honourable sorts, but plenty were loyal only to themselves, when would betrays their masters if made the right offer. They were also violent in general, and didn't care much about protecting peasants. As for Kurosawa recommendations, you have Seven Samurai, Ran, Kagemusha, etc.
How come Kurosawa was such an influence in the west for directors etc, did his films make it over the pond to cinemas? Or was it a thing where you had to be in the know?
@@Jigsawn2 Foreign films would be released in the rest of the world back then, usually with terrible dubs (the first Godzilla is a classic example). It wasn't everyone's cup of tea of course, but cinema fans, which of course included film students and teachers, were attracted to them.
@@Jigsawn2 Rashomon (1950) was the first Japanese film to gain a following in America. It actually received an Academy Award. Foreign films were screened here, probably most often in film schools, though. George Lucas has been very vocal about Kurosawa as an inspiration. There are clear elements in Star Wars taken directly from The Hidden Fortress, and Lucas has said that Seven Samurai was a strong inspiration as well. Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola were majorly inspired by international films too, just not Japanese per se (French, Italian, and German, I expect). In fact, Lucas and Coppola helped Kurosawa fund Kagemusha when they found out he was having trouble funding his next production.
Amazing reaction you guys, thank you so much... Hidden Fortress (1958) by Akira Kurosawa aswell can be funny one to react because Star Wars a new hope is basically same film (even George Lucas stated that it was his main inspiration.
Samurais at this time were being disbanded and their lords defeated so they roamed about trying to find anyway to make a living. Please do yourself a favor and do some reactions to more Kurosawa - Seven Samurai, High & Low (1950's setting and pure perfection) andsooo many other Kurosawas, you won't be disappointed. And in this one you are watching the best director and actor the screen has ever seen.
Every film you watch is violent. How many best movies ever made will never be seen if that is all you ever watch is violent. Looked thru all of your channel and it's all the same. .
well if i was going to walk around all day, id rather be walking around as a samurai than a gunslinger.. samurais are all comfy in their robes, and if they lay around babbling brooks under cherry blossem trees, you know.. eating
So many older influential films and directors can be interesting to watch to see what they did, but honestly aren't that enjoyable to me as a whole. Kurosawa is an exception to that. I find a lot of his films and characters to still be entertaining today.
Yojimbo: the main character is an honourable more traditional hero. A Fistful Of Dollars: the main character is an antihero. It’s awesome that Italian cinema just exploited and outright stole other people’s films and ideas in order to make cheap, sensationalist, get rich quick movies because some of the financing went to some seriously talented directors, artist who made great films, and in a few other cases fantastic, so-bad-it’s-great, movies were made by complete hacks. Other countries/cultures did it too, but the Italians were wonderfully shameless about it and the world is a better place for those films being made. Also, don’t struggle with a movie, it’s a ride, not a fight, you know, like life, just let a film wash over you and see how you feel about it when it’s over. If it’s an important film you can watch it a second time. If you still have questions do some research on wtf was up with random incomprehensible movie X, Y, or Z. The reason I watch movie reactions is to get someone else’s perspective and younger people are very good at this because they’re coming at it from a very different world from me who is actually older than Star Trek... Films like The Godfather, Jaws, Taxi Driver, Alien, Apocalypse Now, are all movies I’ve seen dozens of times, but I learn new things almost every time I watch someone else react to it. Keep learning. Cinema is an art form, some great films are more difficult than others to appreciate right away. It’s a very rewarding medium to immerse yourselves in. Also, don’t make fun of a monobrow if you can’t even grow a real beard eh... thank you for your consideration in this matter. Peas.
You should watch onstream or off. I call it Jojimbo part 2 Sanjuro 1962 ‧ Action/Adventure ‧ 1h 36m & then to me jojimbo movie 3 Even thought it's a Zatoichi movie. Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo Not Rated 1970 ‧ Martial Arts/World cinema ‧ 1h 56m Be safe rest well & GB4N.
The thing that really works in Fist Full of Dollars is the character Ramon Rojo. He keeps the music box from a girl he killed, and plays it sometimes. He's obviously evil, but he's melancholy about it. The part that you have to suspend your disbelief about in both films is that both strangers convince each side they're working for them.
In my opinion, Yojimbo and A fistful of Dollars show how to adapt a movie. Fistful kept from Yojimbo what worked in a different setting and replaced what didn't without sacrificing the story.
There must be an ounce of truth to this character somewhere in Japanese history. Maybe a guy like this really existed in Japanese folklore. But i believe samurai in the 1600s, 1700s and 1800s were looked upon like cops are looked upon here in America in present day: people don't really trust them, most of them are corrupt and abuse their powers. The samurai in Yojimbo i think is a high ranking samurai (maybe he was even a general at one point) who used to follow a powerful master who's vast empire was utterly destroyed....so now he's out of a job since his master is dead. And Yojimbo, being like one of those incorruptible cops, says to himself: "You know what, f*** it. I'm a ronin now, I will remain masterless. I will just roam all over Japan righting wrongs. I will set things straight in every village or city I enter. I seek neither fame nor fortune. This is what i'll do until the day I die." He's an anti-hero like The Punisher....getting rid of the world's scum. Sanjuro is awesome too. Please give that one a watch.
35:20 Toshiro Mifune did play the same character more than once. Kurosawa obvioulsy made a sequel of sorts called Sanjuro. And he also played similiar characters in films like Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo and Red Sun.
Check out the sequel "Sanjuro", it's a very well made sequel, more humour, more fights and a bloody iconic final duel scene. Also, Throne of Blood, wich is also from Kurosawa and feature the same actor, Toshiro Mifune, on the protagonist role, this one is a japanese Macbeth tale about power and betrayal with some scary supernatural scenes. The actor who played Unosuke (the guy with the gun), Tatsuya Nakadai, is also a regular in the samurai films from Kurosawa and other directors. Check out Sword of Doom, were Nakadai plays a evil psycho samurai that only seeks to feed his bloodlust, killing everyone that crosses his path, this film was suposed to be the first of a trilogy, but the other two movies were never made because of how bloody and violent the first one was, so some plotlines are left open and it ends on a cliffhanger, but is a fenomenal performance by Nakadai and got an epic final massacre scene.
I second all this. Would also recommend Harakiri, which also stars Nakadai and is considered a masterpiece (No.1 on letterbxd)
Second for Sword of Doom. Even better if you can catch a print of it on a big screen somewhere.
I thought "Ran" was Samurai "MacBeth?"
32:50 What Mifune does there is absolutely incredible, the speed and precision, almost without cuts, violence cruel and real. I want you two to try that speed and precision, you imagined that you did it as a kid, but you did not. Modern audiences are conditioned by bad actors who can not move and flashy camera angles and movements that hide the bad technique. Mifune, there was real as a true samurai.
Awesome. You guys need to watch Rashomon, if you haven't already. You'll realize that it's the basis for so many films.
The 'bad guy with a gun' actor went on to star in a highly recommended samurai movie "Sword Of Doom" in addition to the other Kurosawa movies film geeks know and love. Ran, Throne Of Blood, The Hidden Fortress, Seven Samurai, Rashomon and Sanjiro are all fantastic.
He's still alive too. He looks better in his 90s than I do in my 30s.
He is also an extra in 7 Samurai.
Oh, and he's the lead in Harakiri, possibly my favorite film he's in.
Nakadai Tatsuya was a top actor of the time. He was also the lead in Kobayashi Masaki’s 9+ hour trilogy The Human Condition.
@@longago-igo I need to check it out.
Yojimbo was the film Kevin Costner took Whitney Houston to in the Bodyguard. As a ronin, a samurai who has lost his position, he is now basically doing bodyguard work while looking for a permanent position. Kurosawa was a huge fan of the films of John Ford, so that’s where the Western feel comes from. Mifune’s character Sanjuro Kuwabatake returns in Kurosawa’s more comedic Tsubaki Sanjuro (1962), in which he confronts Nakadai Tatsuya again (playing a different character - without a gun). I often use stills from Sanjuro for the videos on my Go channel, due to the use of a floor Go board in the ‘time passing’ montage.
Mifune steals the "ambush in the snow" scene. His portrayal of a master swordsman is utterly believable!
Yojimbo is my favourite movie of all time and Mifune is my favourite actor. I had the fortune to see this in a proper cinema when they premiered the newly restored version. The followup Sanjuro is also amazing
Great reaction. My favourite Kurosawa is SEVEN SAMURAI (1954.) It's a challenge - 31/2 hours long - but IMHO its a masterpiece, particularly the action scenes. It also features TOSHIRO MIFUNE. As you commented SEVEN SAMURAI, like YOJIMBO, was remade into a western - THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. But as you hint at, that was a circular process as Kurosawa was a huge fan of the westerns of director JOHN FORD. When both directors met, Kurosawa allegedly told Ford 'You really like dust' and Ford said, 'You really like rain.'
Akira Kurosawa is the greatest director of all time and it isn't even close.
Yojimbo was based on the Dashiell Hammett crime novel Red Harvest, along with elements from another Hammett novel, The Glass Key. The unknown samurai in the movie is based on Hammett's unnamed detective, The Continental Op, from Red Harvest, which is also the inspiration for Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name in A Fistful of Dollars, which was a remake of Yojimbo.
The guy who plays with the guy with the pistol is still alive. Looks great for a dude in his 90's.
Shaun looks bored and sleepy. Pure and honest reaction.
You guys MUST watch more Kurosawa films. If you're like basically every cinephile in the world, I guarantee that you will be amazed and fall in love. A great place to start might be with "The Hidden Fortress" and then after that there are a huge number of superb films made by Kurosawa. In my opinion, and that of many others, he was the greatest director of all time.
I still find it shocking that so many young film buffs are ignorant of film history. To have never heard of Kurosawa as a film buff is crazy to me. I understand human beings in general have a recency bias and history tends to be a big turn off for many people, but if you are truly interested in film or aspire to be a filmmaker there is so much that can be learned from the past. Classic Japanese film in general had had a huge influence on Western cinema as well as inspiring a lot of manga and anime that a lot of young people are familiar with. And you're missing out some great filmmakers like Jean Renoir, Satyajit Ray, Ingmar Bergman (and I know you've done one on RUclips), Kenji Mizoguchi, Buster Keaton, Luis Buñuel, Howard Hawks and Fritz Lang. But I also understand that the RUclips algorithm kind of forces you into doing a rather narrow band of films. I'd like to believe you guys watch a much broader variety of films on your own time.
This movie takes place at a time (1860) where a lot of samurai who were formerly employed by powerful lords (daimyos) found themselves without employment because their daimyo's property had been confiscated by the Shogunate. So a lot of ex-samurai became ronin or masterless. Many got employed by merchants as protection, but many just became bandits so they were looked down upon.
You've got at least one "Cahiers du Cinéma" book on your shelf haven't you 😁
It’s not about being ignorant, and it’s definitely not about not wanting to learn the history, A film buff has to start somewhere, someone might be really into films but hasn’t watched all films ever made, like, is it not surprising anymore because we’ve now watched this? Or is there another specific film we need to have watched in order to be classed as film buffs? because there are a lot of films to get through 😅 do we need to complete films? because that takes time
@@CinemaRules I understand it's very much a me thing. I'm one of those weirdos who when they get into something I need to know everything about it right away. So when I got into movies in college I just got lists of great movies and just went through them one by one in a pretty short amount of time (and I'm talking about a couple hundred films in a two year span both in theaters and on home video). As you can tell I have no social life.
And yes there's no definitive baseline for cineastery(?), but it seems like with more options to see movies there's actually less inclination to see more variety. But then I'm just an old man shaking my fists at clouds and telling you kids to get off my lawn.
@@notjustforhackers4252 I've never been a big fan of the Cahiers writers as critics, especially since I never fully bought into the auteur theory. But as filmmakers they were great.
@@edwardsighamony what movies were on this list of great movies, we’d love to know so we can work our way through them, we can also tell you if we’ve seen any already or not
You definitely have to watch Sanjiro after, which is a sequel to this one! It’s also a subtle comedy.
Great reaction guys. Impossible to choose just one Kurosawa movie so here's a few non samurai ones that might slip under the radar. Ikiru, High and Low & Stray Dog.
The gunslinger also starred in a brilliant movie called 'The Sword of Doom' which is definitely worth checking out.
High and Low and The Bad Sleep Well are one of my favorites. I love those 2 films especially.
Dersu Uzala!!
Writing this before I've watched your reaction but... I've been a fan of Kurosawa since I was a teenager; I spent my pre-teen and early teens watching a lot of old movies and Kurosawa was almost always a treat. I prefer his samurai movies but one of my absolute favourites--saw once when I was 13 and 27 years later still has a hold on me--is Ikiru (English title: To Live) set in the early 1950s. It's about the inefficiency and aggravating nature of bureaucracy and how to find meaning in life.
EDIT: The samurai in this movie is a ronin (a wanderer, drifter; this word is (was?) used in modern Japan to describe a High School graduate who hasn't gotten into university yet). A ronin is a samurai whose master (the lord, daimyo, they served) has died, has been "fired" for various reasons, or someone who's chosen to swear off their allegiances. Ronin didn't have a great reputation, as a samurai who's master has died should commit seppuku, ritual suicide, or at least find new employment with another lord. I'm pretty sure this film also takes place during the Edo period during which there was an uptick of ronin. Some became bodyguards (which incidentally is the title of this movie) or caravan guards, other became bandits or gang members. A samurai's idea of honourable conduct would be a bit different to how we think it is as well.
If subtitles are actually an issue for you guys I'm so glad I grew up watching everything subtitled (except pure kids' stuff that was of course dubbed into Swedish) because when you're used to it (trained in it I guess) it becomes second nature and I've never felt I've missed anything on screen bc of subtitles. So basically you need to watch a lot more foreign language films (like all of Kurosawa's films) and practice. 😉
LoL. I had that issue up until around age 18 when I entered a Blockbuster store back in the mid 90s. I couldn't decide on what to rent. So I went to the foreign section to see what they had. I saw the title Seven Samurai and was like "Samurais....cool. But its Japanese with English subtitles. Damn it 🤦♂️ What the hell. Let me give it a try."
I'm glad I decided to rent it. Seven Samurai is one of my favorite films ever now. After that, all I wanted to do was rent more foreign films. There are so many great foreign films out there that people are missing out on because of their laziness (or lack of enthusiasm) to read words on a screen.
I mean, we read words on a screen every day when we open our phones and go on FB, Twitter, Instagram....
As an American myself, i wish more Americans would watch foreign films with English subtitles.
Its typical "American arrogance" and "nationalistic pride" that prevents them from going "from ignorance to culturally enlightened."
That, as they say, is how you get to Carnegie Hall. PRACTICE! Of course, if practice makes perfect yet there is no such thing as perfection, why practice?!!
Yes, and both this studio and the one that did Bergman’s films are the best at natural language in their subtitles, as well as correct spelling. It is a chore to read badly-translated versions, and even more irritating nowadays is the AI-generated subtitles.
Same, finn here. Subtitles were never an issue for me. Watching foreign language movies not only taught me English as a kid but has made me appreciate both the differences and similarities in languages of the world, along with the way people of different cultures and languages express themselves through the way they speak. I'd never pick a dubbed movie over subitled one because so much of the original art and expression is lost.
That and even though I don't understand most of them, I can still recognize languages by hearing them spoken.
Yeah, you quickly get used to sort of glancing down at the subtitles and then reading them in your head while you watch the action.
If you want to see a third version of this story, watch "Last Man Standing," which stars Bruce Willis and Christopher Walken as gangsters. It's criticized mostly by film snobs because of its lineage, but it's so much fun. You won't have any of the problems you had with "Fist Full of Dollars" and "Yojimbo." It's directed by Walter Hill.
I'd recommend Zatoichi (about a blind samurai) as well as a crossover film called Zatoichi vs Yojimbo (yes, it's the same character as in the movie you watched). The Lone Wolf and Cub movies are good to.
This is my third favorite samurai movie !!
10- Rurouni Kenshin (anime movie)
9-The Last Samurai
8-Samurai Assassin
7-Samurai Rebellion
6-Ran
5- Twilight Samurai
4- Harakiri
3-Yojimbo
2-Throne of Blood
1- Seven Samurai
13 Assassins came out in 2010. I'm surprised that ain't on your list. That film was awesome.
Sanjuro was awesome too.
@@pookiepook7351 unfortunately this is one i didn't watch yet 😬
@@flotilha935Another Takashi Miike masterpiece
@@flotilha935the last samurai but no zatōichi
@@brazyfilmo3121 zatoichi is awesome, but last samurai was important in my childhood
Another difference between this and fistful of dollars is how Kurosawa deals with the death scenes. Its alot more meaningful and impactful
Seven Samurai is a must its hugely influential and possibly in alot of peoples eyes the greatest movie ever made
The chopping off the gangster's arm, was redone by George Lucas in "Star Wars", during the Cantina scene, when Obi-Wan did the very same thing to that braggadocios bully who wanted to kill Luke (heck, ALL arm chopping scenes in any SW feature, owes a debt of gratitude to "Yojimbo").
Sanjuro is the sequel to Yojimbo. It's also an original so the film will be fresh.
And Kurosawa's influence was John Ford and the westerns he made.
Throne of Blood - directed by Kurosawa, starring Toshiro Mifune, a samurai version of MacBeth. What more could you ask for?
Samurai was warriors serving under Emperors & warlords. Sanjuro is a lone samurai without a master known as Ronin. That’s Why he’s not bound to the Code of Honour.
You guys should definitely watch "Seven Samurai". And get some sleep.
LoL ikr. They look like they did an all-nighter at a club then went home and decided to watch a film at 5 am 😆🤣😁
Yes, Seven Samurai followed by the 1960 Magnificent Seven the next night.
Glad you started watching movies from the Master. And yes, Kurosawa was strongly influenced by the westerns of John Ford. I hope you will continue this journey with other of his movies like Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Ran (1980s epic and in color), Hidden Fortress (where Lucas got his idea for C3PO and R2D2 from) and Sanjurno (the sequel to Yojimbo)
And, of course, George Lucas supposedly originally wanted Toshiro Mifune to play Obi-Wan Kenobi. But, apparently, Fox balked at that and Mifune always struggled with English and might not have taken the part in the first place. It was also important for Lucas to secure a "star" (for legitimacy, for securing financing) and he really, really, really lucked out when Alec Guinness took the part to help out this ambitious, neophyte director. Mifune, as a presence, would've been a fantastic Kenobi, but he couldn't have sold the dialogue (at least not in English).
4:25
Oh that Shit-chewing face of Mifune is literally PRICELESS
I took a friend to see Seven Samurai at a local theater 10 years ago. This was the same theater where I saw a noon to midnight Hong Kong movie marathon in 1993. I left the Hong Kong cinema marathon wanting more and for 5 years all I watched films from there non-stop. So , I told my friend that after watching Seven Samurai he will be hooked. I was right. He boight all Kurasawa films on Blu Ray as well as the 25 film Zatoichi The Blind a swordsman films.
I also took him to see Shogun Assassin, which ie a condensed version of the Lone Wolf And Cub films. Yojimbo is m6 favorite Kurasawa film. A close second is Throne.Of Blood.😊
If I may offer different kind of samurai-movies, then I would very much recommend "The Twilight Samurai"(Tasogare Seibei) which is set into the late Tokugawa period in mid 1800's, when samurai are mainly bureucrats and fighting days are long over. It claimed tons of awards in Japan and is an incredibly beautiful movie.
The other movie I would recommend is Kurosawa's last script, directed by his assistant-director of 30-some years. It's called After the Rain (Ame agaru). Its a slow paced movie but worth the watch!
Samurai, while portrayed as honourable and noble, were not too different from hired blades to robber-barons. Usually, a warlord/governor of a province would hire on Samurai as bodyguards or even elite warriors within their army.
There was a sense of honour and discipline, as many of these samurai were trained at birth to become warriors; however, that didn't mean that they weren't ruthless to the peasants or lower-classes.
Whenever a village didn't pay enough taxes, samurai would usually be sent to extract what was owed; it was even common for samurai to kill peasantry for a slight to their honour, or even just to rob them, and they would not be held accountable. If anything, it was quite common for peasantry to despise samurai or ronin because of their history of raiding and pillaging their villages; keep in mind, these warriors were considered untouchable, only by their lords could they be reprimanded or if they committed the most grievous of acts.
Thanks for a great reaction! Honestly pausing when it gets too confusing. :D
I'm not mad at Leone remaking this as a western. Any good story can be retold again and again. When it is theatre nobody think it's odd when a classic play is reworked and put in different settings, but when it is done with a movie everyone goes bananas screaming theft.
Speaking of that, the best version of Macbeth I've seen is Kurosawa's Throne of Blood (1957). Some things that seem almost fantasy when set in medieval Europe feels to fit in better in feudal Japan.
Also, speaking of inspiration for other movies; Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress (1958) has a lot of inspiration for Star Wars. Everyone borrows from what they have seen because nobody lives in a vacuum. As long as the "thieves" admit their "crime", I'm OK with it.
My fav Kurosawa must be Ikiru (1952). Not only is it a great movie by itself, but it also gives an insight into post war Japan's struggle with a generational shift where the younger people easily adapted to foreign (mostly American) influences. I don't think the movie was made to depict it, but it was reality then and I've rarely seen it elsewhere.
It's hard to choose only one. Dersu Uzala (1975) and Ran (1985) are magnificent masterpieces and Dodes'ka-den (1970) touched me deeply.
And at last - if you want to see another remake of this story, watch Last Man Standing (1996) starring Bruce Willis and set in the days of Prohibition in a small Texas town. Different but very much the same. Not as good as Kurosawa or Leone though...
I cannot tell a lie: I’ve never seen A Fistful of Dollars… I just never got into Spaghetti Westerns (a personal quirk… maybe because of the hollow sound that comes from dubbing). Yojimbo, however, is a personal favorite!
My favorite Kurosawa film (aside from Seven Samurai which is unbeatable) is his crime drama/police procedural High and Low (1963), it’s not only a gripping story about a kidnapping, it also raises many ethical questions giving the audience a lot to think over.
A Fistful Of Dollars is not just close, it's scene for scene from Yojimbo.
Samurai are a class of warrior minor nobility, usually sworn to a clan lord, but if they are not, they are called Ronin, and were often mercenary drifters.
Essential Kurosawa films
1. Ran
2. Rashomon
3. Seven Samurai
4. Throne of Blood
5. High & Low
6. Ikiru
All are masterpieces and he is definitely my favorite director.
On the issue of the main character being questionable, it comes down to the difference between Samurai, who were seen as honourable warriors of the highest virtue and Ronin, Samurais who’ve allowed their master to be killed on their watch and are forced to survive by hiring out their skills. Ronin were seen as failures, or lesser than other Samurai. People knew they were skilled, but they had no honour, so didn’t deserve the respect.
I don't know much about Japanese history, but I think in the nineteenth century the social/political system in Japan, including the position of Samurai, was collapsing. This left a lot of Samurai roaming around the country.
If you want to watch Kurosawa copy someone, you can watch *Ran* , which is an interpretation of Shakespeare's King Lear.
fun fact, Final Fantasy X has a character based on Yojimbo. It's an Aeon Summon named Yojimbo, it's a Samurai summon who you you pay money for it to attack the more money you give him the higher damage he does.
Fistful of Dollars was a western remake of Yojimbo. However, Yojimbo itself was based on the Dashiell Hammett gangster novel, Red Heavest. The whole thing then went full circle with the Bruce Willis film Last Man Standing, which was a remake of Fistful of Dollars as a prohibition era gangster film.
Yoooo I remember ages ago you guys mentioning Alien (1979). Got super excited to see a reaction to that and possibly Aliens as well... No pressure ;)
That movie is a Masterpiece of all times,Kurosawa was a Genius,and Toshiro a great act
As a huge aficionado of Japanese cinema, I think Shaun is flat out wrong when he criticizes the fight choreography. If you compare sword fights in 60's Japanese cinema with sword fights in American cinema of the 60's, the difference in quality becomes objectively apparent. American swinging swords look like they are playing baseball. However, Shaun is spot on about the criticism of the lack of sound effects.
A this point in Japanese cinema, jidaigeki films (Japanese swordplay films) were not incorporating sound effects of "slicing and dicing" into the film. "Yojimbo" came out in 1961. Sounds effects for swords "slicing and dicing" didn't become commonplace until 1963. These sound effects make a world of difference in the fight scenes and the films without the sound effects, such as "Yojimbo," suffer greatly by their absence. The fights are so much more exciting and visceral when these sound effects are present.
Japanese dialog in stories also tends to be pretty oblique at times, so losing plot threads or motivations isn't unknown, esp. if you have to follow via subtitles while trying to keep track of what's happening visually.
As for the final fight choreography I think it's quite fitting that it's sort of mundane and "bland". The violence isn't "cool" or stylized or visually impactful because real violence isn't and in this case it's a highly skilled swordsman cutting down a group of nobodies with no clue, and he doesn't need anything more fanciful than one-two cuts on each to kill them off like the, in this scene, insignificant basically nuisances that they are. There's no fighting going on, only killing.
I have this in my collection from the Criterion Collection.
Its a great Samurai movie!
A Fistful Of Dollars is an unathourized remake of Yojimbo, while the 1996 Western Action film Last Man Standing is inspired by Yojimbo.
Yojimbo and A Fistful of Dollars are both based on Dashiell Hammett's noir crime novel Red Harvest, and both Toshiro Mifune's samurai and Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name character is based on Hammett's unnamed detective, The Continental Op.
Did not expect anyone to reference the remake starring Bruce Willis. 👍
@@mathology5710 Yeah, but the Walter Hill remake with Bruce Willis should've credited Dashiell Hammett, not Akira Kurosawa.
For a great modern Samurai film, try Takeshi Kitano's ZATOICHI. For a very different Kurosawa movie, you should watch DREAMS (Even has a brief cameo from Martin Scorcese playing Vincent Van Gogh.)
A Fistful of Dollars began as an official sequel where they were going to pay for the rights. But then the producer "forgot" to do that, and they got sued and had to pay far more. It wasn't Leone's fault, he thought he was doing a legit remake. Clint also knew he was in a film that had been made before.
I've watched almost all of Kurosawa's films, and Yojimbo is one of the hardest to follow, especially for a newbie. I highly recommend watching more! The sequel to Yojimbo, Sanjuro, is a lot more fun. Kurosawa's other samurai films--Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood (Macbeth), Kagemusha, and Ran (King Lear)--are all phenomenal and fairly easy to follow. Seven Samurai is considered one of the greatest films of all time, worldwide. Ran isn't too far behind, imo. The use of color in Kagemusha and Ran is incredible. He also did a number of excellent film noirs--Stray Dog, The Bad Sleep Well (loosely based on Hamlet), and my personal favorite, High and Low. And then there's Ikiru, which was remade as a British film last year--Living, starring Bill Nighy. You'll see the same actors pop up in a lot of these, particularly Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, and Tatsuya Nakadai--all so versatile!
Also, Seven Samurai explores they dynamics of the different social classes in medieval Japan. The Samurai were a warrior caste, just under nobility. But if they weren't in the employ of a feudal lord, they had to fend for themselves and take work where they could find it. Samurai got bad reputations for taking advantage of peasants--pillage and rape were not uncommon, from what I understand. So villagers would be especially suspicious of Samurai around their daughters.
Japanese has three "alphabets" (syllabaries, technically). The one we Westerners tend to gush over as "cool" is called Katakana. It's the slick one with relatively simple characters that are used a lot in signage and titles. The other two are Hiragana, which is curvy-looking (it was invented for poetry in ancient times), and Kanji which is just Chinese used for Japanese language.
Feudal Japan ( medieval Japan ) gave Samurai the "legal right" to kill without justification. As such "normal people" feared and avoided them. Kurosawa is a master, do take a look at his other movies. Toshiro Mifune is fantastic in anything he's in. Check out Takashi Miike's film "Blade of the Immortal (2017)" you'll get a kick out of that one lads.
Rashomon (1950) is my favourite Kurosawa.
Nice reaction, guys. And some story techniques may not work for you, even if they work for others, and the reverse may be true, too. As for subtitles, the company doing restoration and remastering of so many classic movies with new subtitles usually does a great job on Kurosawa, Bergman, Fellini, and many others. Glad you recognised some of the similarities to A Fistful of Dollars.
Akira Kurosawa was an amazing auteur director. He made jidaigeki (Japanese costume drama - and yes, George Lucas adapted the word to "jedi") movies and modern movies. Kurosawa was greatly influenced by seeing older Japanese movies and Hollywood movies, including Westerns directed by John Ford. Btw, you mentioned that Kurosawa was a big influence on George Lucas, and if you see the movie Hidden Fortress (also starring Toshiro Mifune as a different sort of samurai), with a princess and samurai general in disguise and on the run behind enemy lines trying to get to safety, with two peasants along for the ride (just substitute droids and you get the idea) you can see the origins of the biggest movie of 1977.
Also, Kurosawa was a game-changing director for many technical reasons in his film-making. In addition to that, specifically in his jidaigeki movies, he made the fight scenes look realistic, which was very shocking at the time to Japanese audiences, and at first reduced the popularity of his movies in that country. Traditionally, samurai fight scenes had been choreographed to look like elegant dance routines, but Kurosawa WANTED them to look brutal, fast, and realistic. Other Japanese directors' samurai movies from that time may show more blood, but the fights end up looking more ritualistic rather than realistic. Tarantino had fun with this tradition in Kill Bill, Pt 1.
Yojimbo and Sanjuro (the 2nd tale of the warrior with no name), and even Seven Samurai (in which Mifune plays a very different character), are not about the great age of samurai warriors servings Japan's emperor or regional warlords. These are tales from a time when Japanese central control had broken down, when samurai warriors had to seek work or starve, and at this time such freelancers (swords for hire) were referred to as "ronin".
More great Kurosawa movies? Okay, here's a list: Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Ikiru, Throne of Blood (adaptation of Macbeth), Sanjuro, Hidden Fortress, Kagemusha, High and Low, Ran (adaptation of King Lear).
Thanks, again!
Not to mention Lucas's adoption of the screen wipe from Kurosawa. Great explanation!
You guys need to watch YOJIMBO a few more times, because it works on so many levels (as an Eastern Western, as a straight-up comedy, as a satire). It would probably help you both to realize that you're really missing some key things, especially that the "hero" is a MASTERLESS samurai, generally unwanted and wandering aimlessly after the dissolution of the samurai. Kurosawa's doing much, much more with this film than you're appreciating-- and doing it with a light touch and with great storytelling economy.
And, make no mistake, Toshiro Mifune was the original genuine badass: he practically invented the archetype and almost everyone since, from Eastwood to Keanu's John Wick, has been, in part, an homage to Mifune (not just in YOJIMBO, but in so many other movies). He could be droll, he could be funny, he could do ferocious action, he could do ferocious dramatics. He's the movie star you'd NEVER fuck with, ever. The man's a gawd-damn cinematic titan.
Oh, and you can see more of this character. The film is called SANJURO-- and Leone ripped that off, too.
The thing when he throws his knife at the leaf "was it in reverse " yea absolutely you called it ive listened to the dvd commentary 😂
One of the greatest films from one of the best directors of all time. Please also watch Seven Samurai which is another masterpiece
It'd be interesting to do 7 samurai and the magnificent 7 as a double feature.
@@AliceBowiewith Seven Samurai first so they can more accurately see everything copied from it
You should check out Throne of Blood, think you will love that one.
Please watch “In The Name of The Father”
Great reaction! It is very interesting to see your reaction to the film Space Truckers 1996. This is a cool movie 👍🔥🦾
Where do I start, other than keep it up, fellas - the most honest reactions on da toob!
1. Toshiro Mifune is my favourite actor. Influenced many.
2. Kurosawa is copied/referenced EVERYWHERE. Leone knew he was remaking this (albeit without permission). Check also "Go home to your mother" in Kill Bill, or a dog with a hand in his mouth in Wild At Heart.
3. Yojimbo is probably the most fun (based on an older story), but keep checking out more Kurosawa - not just the chanbara movies. He was indeed influenced by John Ford westerns.
4. Also consider Masaki Kobayashi. Mostly known for Hara Kiri, but the sublime and eerie Kwaidan is a magnificent choice for Halloween ghost stories
Every decade or so a particular country rules cinema. This came as Japan was handing over to France and Italy, before Hollywood regained the high ground in the early 70s (PLEASE do Easy Rider!)
I'll take Rashoman, Ikiru, and Ran as my must sees.
Now watch the Islandic film Hrafninn Flygtur 1984 (When the Raven Flies) it is the best of the remakes and the one that differs the most from the original story. There are two more Yojimbo remakes: The Warrior and the Sorceress 1984 and Last Man Standing 1996.
Funny you mention Star Wars. George Lucas was a huge fan of Kurosawa. Many elements of Kurosawa's "Hidden Fortress" were used as the basis for the original SW film.
Seven Samurai is my favorite movie from Akira Kurosawa, Yojimbo a close second.
Aw man! This is cool. Now you have to check out the once upon a time in China trilogy, house of flying daggers, Azumi/Azumi 2 and The Rurouni Kensihin films ( these specifically as the story and frenetic action is insane ) and, The swordsman.
Yes! A true masterpiece in every sense of the word, an absolute classic. Watch basically any of Kurosawa's movies and you will be amazed. You NEED to watch Seven Samurai.
A Fistful of Yen.
Ryo*
sword of doom is a fantastic samurai film about a desent into madness
I think the movie "Last man standing" with Bruce willis is based on this.
Of all the Kurosawa films I've seen I rank this one among the lower tier. This was a 'movie'. Kagemusha and RAN were 'epics'.
You should watch more Tim burton films like mars attack ,Sweeney Todd, Edward scissors hand, Ed wood and beetlejuice
Reading is fundamental, guys
So you've discovered one of the great directors of true cinema. There's lots of recommendations in the comment section so I'll just add my favorites: Rashamon, Seven Samurai and the best RAN, which is his version of Macbeth. Besides the great storytelling it a masterpiece of cinematography.
Correction; his version of King Lear - not Macbeth. Throne of Blood was Macbeth
Basically, if you were an aspiring film-maker in the 60's and 70's, then Kurosawa's work was a major influence in those generations of future film-makers, and in particular, Westerns made from that point on took a lot of inspiration from Kurosawa movies (like you said, The Magnificent Seven is an adaptation of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai).
Regarding Samurai, the Highly Idealized Image of the Samurai, which was created from the 17th Century onwards (the concept of Bushido was made-up after the Samurai class had become outdated, when the era of war and strife within Japan was ended by the Tokugawa Shogunate) was one of Highly Honourable, Dutiful and Faithful retainers, willing to die for honour, but the actual Samurai weren't like that. Some were honourable sorts, but plenty were loyal only to themselves, when would betrays their masters if made the right offer. They were also violent in general, and didn't care much about protecting peasants.
As for Kurosawa recommendations, you have Seven Samurai, Ran, Kagemusha, etc.
How come Kurosawa was such an influence in the west for directors etc, did his films make it over the pond to cinemas? Or was it a thing where you had to be in the know?
@@Jigsawn2 Foreign films would be released in the rest of the world back then, usually with terrible dubs (the first Godzilla is a classic example). It wasn't everyone's cup of tea of course, but cinema fans, which of course included film students and teachers, were attracted to them.
@@Jigsawn2 Rashomon (1950) was the first Japanese film to gain a following in America. It actually received an Academy Award. Foreign films were screened here, probably most often in film schools, though. George Lucas has been very vocal about Kurosawa as an inspiration. There are clear elements in Star Wars taken directly from The Hidden Fortress, and Lucas has said that Seven Samurai was a strong inspiration as well. Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola were majorly inspired by international films too, just not Japanese per se (French, Italian, and German, I expect). In fact, Lucas and Coppola helped Kurosawa fund Kagemusha when they found out he was having trouble funding his next production.
@@melanie62954 very interesting, thank you!
Amazing reaction you guys, thank you so much...
Hidden Fortress (1958) by Akira Kurosawa aswell can be funny one to react because Star Wars a new hope is basically same film (even George Lucas stated that it was his main inspiration.
Samurais at this time were being disbanded and their lords defeated so they roamed about trying to find anyway to make a living. Please do yourself a favor and do some reactions to more Kurosawa - Seven Samurai, High & Low (1950's setting and pure perfection) andsooo many other Kurosawas, you won't be disappointed. And in this one you are watching the best director and actor the screen has ever seen.
Yo! Jimbo! Isnt that what Wade said to Bond in GoldenEye? 😅
Kurasawa's Shakespeare adaptations are awesome.
Your Patreons have great taste! I hope they one day choose 8 1/2 , The 400 Blows, Children of Paradise, and so many more!
You guys should definitely do more Kurosawa. Some Bergman and Godard too.
Every film you watch is violent. How many best movies ever made will never be seen if that is all you ever watch is violent. Looked thru all of your channel and it's all the same. .
While I do really like this film, I don't think it's close to being Kurosawa's best. Ran may take that title for me.
the sequel, Sanjuro, is, in my opinion, even better!
Sanjuro is much easier to follow.
Check out Harakiri. One of the best of all time.
Cinema Rules, How Do You Feel About Watching (John Cusack) In 1408.
well if i was going to walk around all day, id rather be walking around as a samurai than a gunslinger.. samurais are all comfy in their robes, and if they lay around babbling brooks under cherry blossem trees, you know.. eating
この映画もそうですが、黒澤は望遠レンズの使い方がとても上手いです。冒頭の三十郎と農民夫婦の顔がハッキリ映っている。
なんにせよ、これがキッカケで『椿三十郎』も観てくれると、僕は嬉しい。
So many older influential films and directors can be interesting to watch to see what they did, but honestly aren't that enjoyable to me as a whole. Kurosawa is an exception to that. I find a lot of his films and characters to still be entertaining today.
Hope you guys watch more Kurosawa.
No rating on this one?
Yojimbo: the main character is an honourable more traditional hero.
A Fistful Of Dollars: the main character is an antihero.
It’s awesome that Italian cinema just exploited and outright stole other people’s films and ideas in order to make cheap, sensationalist, get rich quick movies because some of the financing went to some seriously talented directors, artist who made great films, and in a few other cases fantastic, so-bad-it’s-great, movies were made by complete hacks.
Other countries/cultures did it too, but the Italians were wonderfully shameless about it and the world is a better place for those films being made.
Also, don’t struggle with a movie, it’s a ride, not a fight, you know, like life, just let a film wash over you and see how you feel about it when it’s over.
If it’s an important film you can watch it a second time. If you still have questions do some research on wtf was up with random incomprehensible movie X, Y, or Z.
The reason I watch movie reactions is to get someone else’s perspective and younger people are very good at this because they’re coming at it from a very different world from me who is actually older than Star Trek...
Films like The Godfather, Jaws, Taxi Driver, Alien, Apocalypse Now, are all movies I’ve seen dozens of times, but I learn new things almost every time I watch someone else react to it.
Keep learning. Cinema is an art form, some great films are more difficult than others to appreciate right away. It’s a very rewarding medium to immerse yourselves in.
Also, don’t make fun of a monobrow if you can’t even grow a real beard eh... thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Peas.
You should watch onstream or off.
I call it Jojimbo part 2
Sanjuro
1962 ‧ Action/Adventure ‧ 1h 36m
& then to me jojimbo movie 3
Even thought it's a Zatoichi movie.
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo
Not Rated 1970 ‧ Martial Arts/World cinema ‧ 1h 56m
Be safe rest well & GB4N.
The thing that really works in Fist Full of Dollars is the character Ramon Rojo. He keeps the music box from a girl he killed, and plays it sometimes. He's obviously evil, but he's melancholy about it.
The part that you have to suspend your disbelief about in both films is that both strangers convince each side they're working for them.
You’re a bit mixed up there between fistful and a few dollars more
In my opinion, Yojimbo and A fistful of Dollars show how to adapt a movie. Fistful kept from Yojimbo what worked in a different setting and replaced what didn't without sacrificing the story.
Walker Anthony Moore Maria Perez Donna
toshiro mifune the legend
This shit is better than fistful of dollars im sorry
React to kung fu hustle
Keep your heads out of the way.
There must be an ounce of truth to this character somewhere in Japanese history. Maybe a guy like this really existed in Japanese folklore.
But i believe samurai in the 1600s, 1700s and 1800s were looked upon like cops are looked upon here in America in present day: people don't really trust them, most of them are corrupt and abuse their powers.
The samurai in Yojimbo i think is a high ranking samurai (maybe he was even a general at one point) who used to follow a powerful master who's vast empire was utterly destroyed....so now he's out of a job since his master is dead.
And Yojimbo, being like one of those incorruptible cops, says to himself:
"You know what, f*** it. I'm a ronin now, I will remain masterless. I will just roam all over Japan righting wrongs. I will set things straight in every village or city I enter. I seek neither fame nor fortune. This is what i'll do until the day I die."
He's an anti-hero like The Punisher....getting rid of the world's scum.
Sanjuro is awesome too. Please give that one a watch.
35:20 Toshiro Mifune did play the same character more than once. Kurosawa obvioulsy made a sequel of sorts called Sanjuro. And he also played similiar characters in films like Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo and Red Sun.