On our recent trip to Toronto and Algonquin park we read about a Kurosawa marathon happening in major cities in the US. Lamenting that we wouldn't be able to see these stunning, classic films on the big screen we decided to do the next best thing: have our own "Samurai Marathon" in the comfort of our own home. It wouldn't be quite the same, but still a lot of fun.
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Rating: Q=7, P=7 / Obsession
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=4
Samurai, Drama, Action
Yojimo stands out, for me. And not just as a samurai story, but as a drama. It is loosely based on Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett. It has been remade many times, most notably (and notoriously) as Fistful of Dollars. We all likely have encountered the theme and plot, perhaps without even knowing it. I think this is because the story is so succinct and tells such a valuable lesson of the evils and consequences of corruption. Brilliant film.
Sanjuro (Akira Kurosawa, 1962)
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Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Can't Get Enough
Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3
Samurai, Drama, Action
I really enjoy Sanjuro, but for very different reasons from Yojimbo. While it is a sequel, these two stories don't feel that connected. I like this tale because it focuses on the consequences of immaturity and rash decisions and exposes that what a samurai means and what he is are two different concepts. It is also very funny.
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