Posted on Jun 10, 2013 by Robert Reineke | 0 comments. A duel that Sanjuro thinks is foolish and unnecessary, but which Muroto insists on since Sanjuro abused his trust. The transfer is presented in 1080p/24hz. I’ll have to warn the potential viewers about the bloody final duel which occurs between Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai, who just like in Yojimbo reprises the role of the main villain (this time much less flamboyant and without a firearm). We regard the Chamberlain’s wife as soft and foolish, while her judgments and pronouncements prove to be spot on and right, again and again. Their adventure opens with immediate comedic results. Subsequent directors around the world based Sanjuro. A crafty samurai helps a young man and his fellow clansmen save his uncle, who has been framed and imprisoned by a corrupt superintendent. And when the time comes for the final duel with the bad guys’ head swordsman, Hanbei, it’s just one move-one cut, again like Kyuzo’s duel in “Seven Samurai”. And it doesn’t take long for the samurai to find Sanjuro on the road out of town as he and Muroto prepare to square off in a duel. In the original film, a rōnin arrives in a small town trapped between competing crime lords. The pairing of Kurosawa and Mifune was still strong as Kurosawa was preparing his next film. Comment by John Hocking - December 30, 2020 7:18 pm. It doesn’t take long but the Superintendent’s men arrive and find a grumpy ronin, upset that his sleep has been disturbed, instead of a bunch of rebellious samurai. Hanbei draws his sword, but the faster Sanjuro kills him. fake blood spraying everywhere. across Muroto’s chest, creating a shocking fountain of blood as the young man However, there’s no shame going out on a film as good and enjoyable as Sanjuro. Sanjuro is an amazing piece of cinematography. These events are necessary and fun, but they don’t really move the plot forward. They want to thank Sanjuro, but he doesn’t want their thanks, rather a few coins so that he can feed himself. falls. To an extent, anyways. He asks if the uncle is ugly and when told the response is yes, quickly surmises that the young samurai have been lured into a trap and the Superintendent is the corrupt force. Sanjuro’s plan, essentially a reprise of Yojimbo, spurs a fierce argument among the samurai. Sanjuro may not be a masterpiece, but it’s only really because Yojimbo got there first. With Although she’s played for comedy, she’s just as naïve as the young samurai and totally unused to any physical exertion, she also embodies feudal nobility and ideals in a very real way. In the final scene of the film, the young henchman Muroto confronts the Samurai at a dusty crossroads as he is trying to leave town. Tatsuya Nakadai was Mifune’s chief nemesis in Yojimbo, and obviously Kurosawa wanted to repeat that success. relaxed except for the intensity in their eyes, until suddenly they both draw Kurosawa The samurai race off and find Sanjuro and Hanbei about to duel. Someone that could have been his friend and ally in different circumstances. First, Kurosawa checks in with the Chamberlain who is revealed for the first time as he lightly lectures the young samurai for not trusting him and causing a lot of unnecessary death, including the ritual suicide of the Superintendent. Most particularly, she sees right through Sanjuro’s character judging him to be like an exposed sword that cuts everything in his way (even when it isn’t necessary), while the best swords remain in their sheathes. There is a good point to be made here about too much of a He is constantly depicted as separate from the group, dirty and constantly scratching, as contrasted to carefully coiffed and clean samurai. But, if the plot isn’t rushing forward, Kurosawa makes sure to stress that Sanjuro is very much an outsider. Posts. failing to convince the younger man to change his mind, the Samurai agrees and Yojimbo is the original "A Fist Full of Dollars". 97.2k members. The blood is shocking first of all because it’s there at That embarrassment saves Sanjuro’s cover, but a failure that spectacular can’t be ignored as Sanjuro’s plan to infiltrate the Superintendent’s group comes to a premature and futile end which accomplished nothing but the unnecessary deaths of some guards. Featuring an excellent supporting cast and typically brilliant photography, the film is engaging from the bold opening scene to the tense, bloody final duel between Muroto and Sanjuro. Muroto’s first act, after sending his troops elsewhere, is to offer Sanjuro a job. And, for once, Sanjuro has no response. A foolish view, which is quickly pointed out as Sanjuro (Toshiro Mifune) intrudes on the scene. Much of it is a long take with a carefully composed composition as we … The final duel sums up Kurosawa’s visual style and strategy succinctly. r/criterion. With no real choice, the two expert swordsmen capture the two young samurai and throw them among guards. Kurusawa stages the entire sequence as one long shot, with The lead samurai, Iiro Izaka (Yozo Kayama), breathlessly reports on how his goal of reporting corruption in the clan was apparently hushed up by his uncle Mutsuta (Yunosuke Ito), the Chamberlain of the clan. Sanjuro is both attracted to the idea of being part of society again and repelled by it, although he does try to follow the Chamberlain’s wife edict that he should restrict his killing. card classic compact. Western that is no accident, Kurosawa was a big John Ford fan, and all of his It seems like a perfect plan, except that the description of the temple is off which puts Sanjuro in jeopardy as soon as he steps through the gates. Sanjuro is reluctant to fight and tries to dissuade Hanbei, but Hanbei is furious at his loss of dignity and declares he can only find ease by killing Sanjuro. 78 of 78 found this interesting Muroto sets up a trap which the young samurai are eager to rush into, but which Sanjuro keeps them out of. straight line from this shot to such diverse modern masterworks as Much of it is a long take with a carefully composed composition as we wait for the two samurai to spring into action. Masterless If Sanjuro was merely a fun romp, Kurosawa could have ended the movie right there, but even the lightest Kurosawa movies have some message attached. stupidity and thoughtlessness of others. Sanjuro is generally a romp, and more often than not the Chamberlain’s wife is an object of humor, but unlike Yojimbo, there is a good side to this conflict and Kurosawa allows that side to express its ideals and even temper Sanjuro’s cynicism. after that it wasn’t possible to release a Samurai movie without fountains of Join. Samurai movies would go on to inspire a generation of Spaghetti Western Kurosawa doesn’t let the ideas bog down the story, as there’s still an escape to be made with the two ladies, with Sanjuro offering himself as a footstool for the older lady. What can go wrong with that plan? He was exactly like me. Did you every watch the duel at the end of Sanjuro in slow motion? card. Not taking no for an answer, Iiro reports that he turned to the Superintendent Kikui (Masao Shimizu) for help and after being surprised by the uncle’s reaction the Superintendent agreed to cooperate. Muroto welcomes Sanjuro with open arms. A naked sword. Posts about Sanjuro. Why wouldn’t Sanjuro turn them all in to save his own hide and probably get a reward? What’s even better is that while Sanjuro isn’t likely to be called one of Kurosawa’s major works, it’s still an accomplished, highly entertaining film with a clear message. And, this time, Kurosawa comes up with a really great visual for selling Sanjuro’s story by leaving him to be discovered in a genuinely embarrassing condition. Kurosawa was never particularly enamored with Japan’s feudal past and he doesn’t hesitate at all to make fun of the young samurai and their dreams of glory. Again it’s a reprise of Yojimbo, but a thrilling reprise nonetheless, as Sanjuro slaughters the guards in a tour de force action sequence. Featuring an excellent supporting cast and typically brilliant photography, the film is engaging from the bold opening scene to the tense, bloody final duel between Muroto and Sanjuro. Visit. And it’s left to Sanjuro to take charge, which will define the remainder of the movie as he uses his head to get out of the tight spot. In a bit of a repeat of Yojimbo, Sanjuro has hidden the young samurai under the floor boards of the temple. Ten samurai is clearly an unwieldy number. A duel that Sanjuro thinks is foolish and unnecessary, but which Muroto insists on since Sanjuro abused his trust. By all accounts the shoot was one of Kurosawa’s shortest and most fun. Which draws the attention of the leader in the field Hanbei Muroto (Tatsuya Nakadai), Sanjuro’s opposite number and chief opponent in a battle of wits. At this point, chance plays a role as Chidori and the Chamberlain’s wife discover a note in the stream which reveals that the Chamberlain is being held next door. with the violence and killing he is forced to engage in purely due to the Sanjuro may never get cut down out of foolish pride, but he’s clearly going to continue to wander in the wilderness. Again, the Superintendent and Hanbei Muroto are ahead of them as they arrive at the Chamberlain’s house in time to discover that the Superintendent’s troops are already there. brilliant young henchman of the Superintendent who is in many ways a dark It would turn out to be another triumph, featuring one of Mifune’s best performances, and turn out to be one of Kurosawa’s most accessible films. The uncle took their evidence and told them to go home and mind their own business, essentially. thoughtful art, more in harmony than in 1962’s. Its story is one of adventure, and cunning smarts, as the old samurai Sanjuro leads 9 young heroes on a mission of saving a town from a dictator. Picture 8/10. In this film, almost all the samurai apart from Sanjuro himself and Muroto are either bureaucrats or warriors in name only; in the scene where Sanjuro kills the guards to free his four captured comrades, almost none of them put up a decent fight, with the guards being … Throughout the story, Sanjuro poses as a bad ronin who is after making a quick score. Like with Yojimbo my basis for comparison is again with Criterion’s original non-anamorphic DVD from 1999. The idea of flowers floating down a stream being a climax is a particularly Eastern and beautiful image which leads to a rousing, and surprisingly bloodless, ending of the Superintendent’s plot. Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Kurosawa, In Order #29 – Rhapsody in August, All Hallow’s Lee: To the Devil a Daughter, Still Watching the Skies: Episode 56 “The Andromeda Strain”. Which forces Sanjuro to act, against his efforts not to kill people wantonly, to free the two samurai when Muroto leaves to get additional guards due to the importance of their two prisoners. At least that’s the impression based on the setup. After trying and It’s easy to imagine the continuing adventures of Toshiro Mifune in the role, but it would turn out to be the last pairing of Kurosawa and Mifune in a samurai adventure film. Kurosawa had wanted to make a film based on Shuguro Yamamoto’s story “Peaceful Days” before he made Yojimbo. Hanbei Muroto is one step ahead of Sanjuro and the young samurai and they can’t even run a public relations campaign. all. After trying and failing to convince the younger man to change his mind, the Samurai … The Superintendent even goes so far as to suggest Iiro should gather all his followers immediately, which brings us to present time and efficiently dispenses with most of the necessary exposition. In the final scene of the film, the young henchman Muroto A lot can go wrong actually. For this reason, Sanjuro is a more straightforward action-adventure than its cunning predecessor, yet this accessible sequel is equally entertaining every step of the way. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! It’s at this point that Sanjuro meets his moral opposite in the Chamberlain’s wife. Up to this point, That blood fountain became iconic almost immediately, and With a few words, Sanjuro gets to the truth of the matter. Quotes ... Sanjûrô Tsubaki : [before their final duel] Must we fight? All that death is caused by a lack of trust. Moruto is no sadist, but a pragmatic leader in his own right who recognizes a kindred spirit in Sanjuro. Along the way the Samurai becomes more and more disillusioned Harryhousen’s. And the ronin wastes no time in letting his displeasure be known even as the most cursory of searches is performed. Continuing a playful mood, Kurosawa has the samurai hole up right next to the superintendent’s chief ally Kurofuji (Takashi Shimura), with the belief that the last place that their enemies will look is right under their own nose. Before departing for the road again, Sanjuro acknowledges that indeed the best swords remain sheathed and instructs the young samurai to remember that. In the end the Samurai defeats the young henchman Featuring an excellent supporting cast and typically brilliant photography, the film is engaging from the bold opening scene to the tense, bloody final duel between Muroto and Sanjuro. Sanjuro´s interactions with the young naive samurai are hilarious and I also enjoy how sound effects are used for comedic effect. Masterless and disgraced, Muroto challenges the Samurai to a duel. In what may be the greatest samurai duel ever put to film, Kurosawa is able to have his cake and eat it, too. confronts the Samurai at a dusty crossroads as he is trying to leave town. couldn’t have known that he was sending us down a road that ended in mass desensitization As seen in the film, the slaps both surprised the actors and knocked them backwards. reflection of the Samurai. Or almost pure, as Sanjuro decides to take some responsibility for these young fools who might get themselves killed out of their own idealism. Muroto is so trusting that he’s ready to reveal all to Sanjuro. But, Sanjuro has already picked sides. It helps that Nakadai is playing a completely different character in looks and attitude. Showing all 28 items Jump to: Photos (10) Quotes (18) Photos . Except for the fact that they both spot the young samurai spying on them. And the exaggerated final duel (that blood fountain) is a great satire on the unrealistic portrayal of duels in samurai films, while also being incredibly cool in its own right (samurai films are popular for a reason). Sanjuro compares all of them creeping around to a centipede. So, instead of trusting, Iiro and the hotheaded samurai decide to follow and spy on Sanjuro. His constant coming out of and retreating into the little closet the group has him “imprisoned” in is one of the great comic relief gags of Kurosawa’s career. Katanas instead of guns, but basically the same. their swords. Product Identifiers Chat with us here: https://discord.gg/ZSbP4ZC. Kurosawa, ultimately took over the job of directing the film, which he never intended during development of the script, while preproduction work was underway on High and Low. A thanks was planned for Sanjuro as well, but he’s nowhere to be seen, which is something of a relief to the Chamberlain even as the young samurai rush out to find Sanjuro. The two men stare at each other for a long moment, appearing the gaggle of young samurai watching in the background framed between the two The other young samurai aren’t really given much characterization other than the hothead of the group. The famous final scene of his duel with Hanbei, the henchman of the corrupt superintendent, is poignant. A friend, while in college, went to a showing of Yojimbo. As they poke their heads out, it’s an image that George Lucas would re-appropriate for Star Wars and the smugglers compartments of the Millennium Falcon. Rather than the prolonged sword battle typical of the genre, the final duel plays out like a Western gun fight (in the style popularised by Sergio Leone later in the decade): a long, staring, near-motionless build, then a moment of cathartic violence, then a pause to allow what just happened to sink in. Some brainstorming and the group concocts a plan where Sanjuro will report that he discovered the young samurai at a temple out of town, and when the guards leave to investigate, they’ll swoop in and rescue the Chamberlain after getting the signal of a bunch of camellia flowers dumped in the stream. Which isn’t to say that Sanjuro is a tragedy. Yojimbo (1961) vs Sanjuro (1962): Film Review Posted on June 3, 2011 by carolineguerin The cinematic impact of Akira Kurosawa ‘s Yojimbo can be seen most clearly in westerns such as Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy, where a nameless lone fighter comes to a lawless town and sets warring factions against each other. The action is sudden, and violent with an impressive gush of blood as Muroto is dispatched, with a quick montage of reaction shots from all the spectators. But, in the character of the Chamberlain’s wife, he allows the samurai ideals of honor tempered with mercy have their day. To an audience in 1962 that blood fountain was shocking and novel Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Realizing that the Superintendent will act swiftly, they’re all immediately off to spirit the Chamberlain away. That conflict all comes boiling to the surface when Sanjuro announces to the group that he’s going to “accept” Hanbei Muroto’s job offer and spy on what the Superintendent is up to. Communities. Instead, we’re introduced to a gathering of young samurai in a temple. Already the film establishes a “how are they going to get out of this one” sense of adventure. Basis for comparison is again with Criterion ’ s visual style and strategy succinctly Sanjuro turn all... 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