Yojimbo (1961)

Yojimbo (1961)

Dir. Akira Kurosawa

Toshirô Mifune stars as the titular yojimbo (bodyguard), a rōnin (masterless samurai) who's feeling the economic pinch of the era in Akira Kurosawa's much-imitated jidaigeki.

The character positions himself between two rival bosses, one at each end of a small town, and cautiously but skilfully outmanoeuvres them both. He knows that being in the middle is a dangerous place to be, but it offers him the best possible view of both sides.

One of the film's greatest strengths is its straightforward delivery. For both director and actor actions are more important than words, while the old man that shelters the rōnin (Eijirō Tōno) provides backstory for the viewer, followed by the yojimbo advancing the plot as and when the story needs it.

In contrast, Mifune's role is multifaceted, and yet he somehow makes it seem as effortless as his character's manipulation of the antagonists.