Yojimbo (1961)
Yôjinbô (original title)Reference View | Change View
- Not Rated
- 1h 50min
- Action, Drama
- 13 Sep 1961 (USA)
- Movie
A crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 1 nomination.
- See more »
Reviews:
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
| Toshirô Mifune | ... |
Sanjuro Kuwabatake / The Samurai
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| Tatsuya Nakadai | ... |
Unosuke - Gunfighter
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| Yôko Tsukasa | ... |
Nui
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| Isuzu Yamada | ... |
Orin
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| Daisuke Katô | ... |
Inokichi - Ushitora's Rotund Brother
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| Seizaburô Kawazu | ... |
Seibê - Brothel Operator
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| Takashi Shimura | ... |
Tokuemon - Sake Brewer
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Hiroshi Tachikawa | ... |
Yoichiro
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| Yôsuke Natsuki | ... |
Kohei's Son
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| Eijirô Tôno | ... |
Gonji - Tavern Keeper
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| Kamatari Fujiwara | ... |
Tazaemon
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| Ikio Sawamura | ... |
Hansuke
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Atsushi Watanabe | ... |
The Cooper - Coffin-Maker
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| Susumu Fujita | ... |
Homma - Instructor Who Skips Town
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| Kyû Sazanka | ... |
Ushitora
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| Kô Nishimura | ... |
Kuma
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| Takeshi Katô | ... |
Ronin Kobuhachi
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Ichirô Nakatani | ... |
First Samurai
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Sachio Sakai | ... |
First Foot Soldier
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Akira Tani | ... |
Kame
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Tsunagorô Rashômon | ... |
Kannuki the Giant
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| Yoshio Tsuchiya | ... |
Kohei
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| Gen Shimizu | ... |
Magotaro
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| Yutaka Sada | ... |
Matsukichi
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| Shin Ôtomo | ... |
Kumosuke
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| Shôichi Hirose | ... |
Ushitora Follower
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| Hideyo Amamoto | ... |
Yahachi
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Shôji Ôki | ... |
Sukeju
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Fuminori Ôhashi | ... |
Second Samurai
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Hiroshi Yoseyama | ... |
Farmer
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Senkichi Ômura | ... |
Traveler
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| Noriko Honma | ... |
Farmer's Ex-wife
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Ryusuke Nishio | ... |
Seibei Follower
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Naoya Kusakawa | ... |
Seibei Follower
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Nadao Kirino | ... |
Seibei Follower
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Jun Ôtomo | ... |
Seibei Follower
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Shinpei Takagi | ... |
Ushitora Follower
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Akio Kusama | ... |
Ushitora Follower
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Yasuzô Ogawa | ... |
Ushitora Follower
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Hiroshi Takagi | ... |
Ushitora Follower
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Jun'ichirô Mukai | ... |
Seibei Follower
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Fumiyoshi Kamagaya | ... |
Seibei Follower
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Ichirô Chiba | ... |
Second Foot Soldier
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Haruya Sakamoto | ... |
Ushitora Follower
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Rinsaku Ogata | ... |
Seibei Follower
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Fumio Kogushi | ... |
Ushitora Follower
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Yoko Terui | ... |
Woman at Seibei's House
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Hiromi Mineoka | ... |
Woman at Seibei's House
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Michiko Kawa | ... |
Woman at Seibei's House
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Jerry Fujio | ... |
Roku - Samurai Whose Arm Is Cut (uncredited)
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| Haruo Nakajima | ... |
Minor Role (uncredited)
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Mitsuo Tsuda | ... |
Seibei's Henchman (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Akira Kurosawa | ||
Written by
| Akira Kurosawa | ... | (story) |
| Akira Kurosawa | ... | (screenplay) & |
| Ryûzô Kikushima | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
| Ryûzô Kikushima | ... | producer (produced by) (as Ryuzo Kikushima) |
| Akira Kurosawa | ... | producer |
| Tomoyuki Tanaka | ... | producer (produced by) |
Music by
| Masaru Satô | ||
Cinematography by
| Kazuo Miyagawa | ||
Editing by
| Akira Kurosawa | ||
Editorial Department
| Reiko Kaneko | ... | assistant editor |
Production Design by
| Yoshirô Muraki | ||
Costume Design by
| Yoshirô Muraki | ||
Makeup Department
| Yoshiko Matsumoto | ... | hair stylist |
| Junjirô Yamada | ... | hair stylist |
Production Management
| Hiroshi Nezu | ... | production supervisor |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Masanobu Deme | ... | assistant director |
| Shirô Moritani | ... | chief assistant director |
Art Department
| Kôichi Hamamura | ... | property master |
| Yoshifumi Honda | ... | assistant art director |
Sound Department
| Chôshichirô Mikami | ... | sound recordist |
| Ichirô Minawa | ... | sound effects editor |
| Masanobu Miyazaki | ... | sound recordist |
| Zen Shida | ... | assistant sound |
| Hisashi Shimonaga | ... | sound recordist |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Masao Fukuda | ... | still photographer |
| Chôshirô Ishii | ... | lighting technician |
| Shôji Kaneko | ... | assistant lighting technician |
| Takao Saitô | ... | assistant camera |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Masahiro Katô | ... | costumer |
Script and Continuity Department
| Teruyo Nogami | ... | script supervisor |
Transportation Department
| Ginzo Osumi | ... | transportation coordinator |
Additional Crew
| Hiroshi Kanesu | ... | choreographer |
| Ryû Kuze | ... | swordplay technique |
| Yoshio Sugino | ... | swordplay instructor |
| Noboru Tanaka | ... | production assistant |
| Carol Vogel | ... | english version written and directed by (uncredited) |
| Jesse Vogel | ... | english version written and directed by (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Toho (1961) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Janus Films (1961) (United States) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Seneca Productions (1961) (United States) (theatrical) (as Seneca International) (subtitled)
- Centrala Wynajmu Filmów (1962) (Poland) (theatrical)
- Aito Mäkinen (1963) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Cineriz (1963) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Action Film (1964) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Gala Film Distributors (1967) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Espectáculos Rivus (1969) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1972) (United States) (tv)
- Kommanditbolaget Mårten Kihlman Ky & Co (1980) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Palace Video (1983) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Palace Video (1983) (United Kingdom) (video) (Betamax)
- Festival Records (1990) (Australia) (VHS)
- Festival Video (1990) (Australia) (VHS)
- BFI Video (2000) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- Cowboy Pictures (2002) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Continental Home Vídeo (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
- Madman Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (2004) (United States) (DVD)
- Sandrew Metronome Norge (2003) (Norway) (DVD)
- Sandrews (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
- New KSM (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (2009) (United States) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (2010) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- WOWOW (2012) (Japan) (tv)
- Future Film (2015) (Finland) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (6-disc Akira Kurosawa: Samurai Masterpiece Collection)
- Star Media Entertainment (2015) (Norway) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (Akira Kurosawa - Samurai Masterpiece Collection 1950-1962)
- Carlotta Films (2016) (France) (theatrical) (re-release) (restored version)
- Carlotta Films (2024) (France) (theatrical) (re-release) (4K restoration)
- Film International (1983) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Buksfilm (2024) (Poland) (video) (VOD)
- Epoca (Argentina) (VHS)
- HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- Leopardo Filmes (2020) (Portugal)
- Madman Entertainment (2024) (Australia)
- Madman Films (2024) (New Zealand)
- Palador Pictures (2007) (India) (video) (Mumbai) (Hindi subtitles)
- Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2004) (Finland) (DVD) (as part of Akira Kurosawa Box)
- Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
- The Criterion Channel (2019) (United States) (tv) (digital)
- Tocantins (Brazil) (VHS)
- Yleisradio (YLE) (1989) (Finland) (tv)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- MGM Records (soundtrack)
- Toho Studios (sound stages)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Sanjuro, a wandering samurai enters a rural town in nineteenth century Japan. After learning from the innkeeper that the town is divided between two gangsters, he plays one side off against the other. His efforts are complicated by the arrival of the wily Unosuke, the son of one of the gangsters, who owns a revolver. Unosuke has Sanjuro beaten after he reunites an abducted woman with her husband and son, then massacres his father's opponents. During the slaughter, the samurai escapes with the help of the innkeeper; but while recuperating at a nearby temple, he learns of innkeeper's abduction by Unosuke, and returns to the town to confront him.
Written by Bernard Keane |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Better if all these men were dead. Think about it! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Box Office
| Cumulative Worldwide Gross | $916,667 |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Akira Kurosawa told Toshirô Mifune that his character was like a wolf or a dog and told Tatsuya Nakadai that his character was like a snake. Inspired by this direction, Mifune came up with Sanjuro's trademark shoulder twitch, similar to the way a dog or wolf tries to get off fleas. See more » |
| 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. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in The 62nd Annual Academy Awards (1990). See more » |
| Quotes |
Sanjuro:
I'll get paid for killing, and this town is full of people who deserve to die. See more » |