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Yojimbo

Original title: Yôjinbô
  • 19611961
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
121K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,303
244
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Toshirô Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai in Yôjinbô (1961)
A crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town.
Play trailer2:35
2 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Action
  • Drama
  • Thriller
A crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town.A crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town.A crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town.
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
121K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,303
244
  • Director
    • Akira Kurosawa
  • Writers
    • Akira Kurosawa(story)
    • Ryûzô Kikushima(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Toshirô Mifune
    • Eijirô Tôno
    • Tatsuya Nakadai
Top credits
  • Director
    • Akira Kurosawa
  • Writers
    • Akira Kurosawa(story)
    • Ryûzô Kikushima(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Toshirô Mifune
    • Eijirô Tôno
    • Tatsuya Nakadai
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 227User reviews
    • 136Critic reviews
    • 93Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #145
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 4 wins & 2 nominations total

    Videos2

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:35
    Official Trailer
    What to Watch If You Love "The Mandalorian"
    Clip 2:33
    What to Watch If You Love "The Mandalorian"

    Photos105

    Toshirô Mifune, Daisuke Katô, and Tatsuya Nakadai in Yôjinbô (1961)
    Toshirô Mifune, Seizaburô Kawazu, and Isuzu Yamada in Yôjinbô (1961)
    Toshirô Mifune in Yôjinbô (1961)
    Toshirô Mifune and Isuzu Yamada in Yôjinbô (1961)
    Toshirô Mifune and Atsushi Watanabe in Yôjinbô (1961)
    Yôjinbô (1961)
    Toshirô Mifune in Yôjinbô (1961)
    Yôko Tsukasa in Yôjinbô (1961)
    Yôjinbô (1961)
    Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Ikio Sawamura, and Yôko Tsukasa in Yôjinbô (1961)
    Toshirô Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai in Yôjinbô (1961)
    Toshirô Mifune in Kakushi-toride no san-akunin (1958)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Toshirô Mifune
    Toshirô Mifune
    • Sanjuro Kuwabatakeas Sanjuro Kuwabatake…
    Eijirô Tôno
    Eijirô Tôno
    • Gonji - Tavern Keeperas Gonji - Tavern Keeper
    Tatsuya Nakadai
    Tatsuya Nakadai
    • Unosuke - Gunfighteras Unosuke - Gunfighter
    Yôko Tsukasa
    Yôko Tsukasa
    • Nuias Nui
    Isuzu Yamada
    Isuzu Yamada
    • Orinas Orin
    Daisuke Katô
    Daisuke Katô
    • Inokichi - Ushitora's Rotund Brotheras Inokichi - Ushitora's Rotund Brother
    Seizaburô Kawazu
    Seizaburô Kawazu
    • Seibê - Brothel Operatoras Seibê - Brothel Operator
    Takashi Shimura
    Takashi Shimura
    • Tokuemon - Sake Breweras Tokuemon - Sake Brewer
    Hiroshi Tachikawa
    • Yoichiroas Yoichiro
    Yôsuke Natsuki
    Yôsuke Natsuki
    • Kohei's Sonas Kohei's Son
    Kamatari Fujiwara
    Kamatari Fujiwara
    • Tazaemonas Tazaemon
    Ikio Sawamura
    Ikio Sawamura
    • Hansukeas Hansuke
    Atsushi Watanabe
    • The Cooper - Coffin-Makeras The Cooper - Coffin-Maker
    Susumu Fujita
    • Homma - Instructor Who Skips Townas Homma - Instructor Who Skips Town
    Kyû Sazanka
    Kyû Sazanka
    • Ushitoraas Ushitora
    Kô Nishimura
    Kô Nishimura
    • Kumaas Kuma
    Takeshi Katô
    Takeshi Katô
    • Ronin Kobuhachias Ronin Kobuhachi
    Ichirô Nakatani
    Ichirô Nakatani
    • First Samuraias First Samurai
    • Director
      • Akira Kurosawa
    • Writers
      • Akira Kurosawa(story) (screenplay)
      • Ryûzô Kikushima(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Akira Kurosawa challenged his assistant directors to come up with an image for the film to let Sanjuro know he was entering a bad town. He shot down all of their ideas, since all of them had already been done. Kurosawa himself then came up with the idea of the dog carrying the human hand.
    • Goofs
      In the initial fight scene, The Samurai cuts the first two adversaries in the mid-section, then slices the last man's arm off. That last man is first seen from behind holding the sword in his right arm above his head, but the arm holding the sword shown moments later is a left arm.
    • Quotes

      Sanjuro: I'll get paid for killing, and this town is full of people who deserve to die.

    • Alternate versions
      The initial US release ran only 75 minutes, 35 minutes shorter than the original version at 110 minutes.
    • Connections
      Featured in The 62nd Annual Academy Awards (1990)

    User reviews227

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    Kurosawa's Influential Stroke Of Genius
    Akira Kurosawa is widely (and rightly) thought of as one of the most important filmmakers in the history of motion pictures. "Yojimbo", one of the masterpieces that have earned him this more than deserved reputation, is not only one of the best, but also one of the most influential movies ever made. Only three years after its release another great director, Sergio Leone, who named Yojimbo one of his favorite movies, used it as the model for another masterpiece, "A Fistful Of Dollars" and rose the Italian Western to an international level.

    In 1860, a time when the sword is still the most common weapon in the Japanese province, but gradually gets replaced by the revolver, a lonely Ronin, a Samurai without a master to serve,(Toshiro Mifune) who dashes around the county, comes to a little town terrorized by two bosses and their criminal gangs and decides to end the people's suffering and free the town. He is hired by one of the gangs as a bodyguard, only to switch sides and pit the two, already hostile, gangs against each other.

    Toshiro Mifune, one of the greatest character actors of all time, is impressive in his role of the Samurai, generally the acting is great in this movie, the supporting cast contains such actors as the great and unforgettable Takashi Shimura. The cinematography is great and the movie's brilliant score, composed by Fumio Hayasaka, is one of its kind. The writing and directing by the inimitable Akira Kurosawa is more than brilliant. One of the greatest movies by one of the greatest directors of all-time, and an absolute must-see for everyone interested in cinema!
    helpful•11
    2
    • Witchfinder-General-666
    • Jun 6, 2006

    FAQ3

    • Is 'Yojimbo' based on a book?
    • Who did the man with the prayer drums kill?
    • Any recommendations for movies similar to "Yojimbo"?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 13, 1961 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Language
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Yojimbo the Bodyguard
    • Filming locations
      • Toho Studios, Tokyo, Japan
    • Production companies
      • Kurosawa Production Co.
      • Sammy
      • Toho Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $46,808
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $15,942
      • Jul 28, 2002
    • Gross worldwide
      • $46,808
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 50 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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