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Yojimbo (1961)

#16,77912,599
Movie"Kill one or a hundred... you only hang once"
Audience Score
81
YojimboMax logoWatch on Max
NR 1 hr 50 minSep 13th, 1961Drama, ThrillerSanjuro Collection PosterPart of Sanjuro Collection
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A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and sake merchant Tokuemon to hire him as a personal bodyguard, then artfully sets in motion a full-scale gang war between the two ambitious and unscrupulous men.
StarringToshirō MifuneTatsuya NakadaiYōko Tsukasa
DirectorAkira Kurosawa

Movie Details

Theatrical Release:September 13th, 1961 - Buy Tickets
On DVD & Blu-ray:January 1st, 1999 - Buy DVD
Original Language:Japanese
Executive Producers:Ryūzō Kikushima, Tomoyuki Tanaka
Production Companies:TOHO
Movie Tags:
familyblack and whitejapan19th centurygamblingjidaigekisamuraiswordfightingedo period

Sanjuro Collection

The masterless samurai Sanjuro, who slyly manipulates two warring clans to his own advantage in a small, dusty village, was so entertainingly embodied by the brilliant Toshiro Mifune that it was only a matter of time before he returned in a sequel. Made just one year later, Sanjuro matches Yojimbo’s storytelling dexterity yet adds layers of world-weary pragmatism that brings the two films to a thrilling and unforgettable conclusion.