Sanjuro

Pros: wit, cinematography, Toshiro Mifune
Cons: well there is a prisoner (who is an entertaining character), but no cons

I consider Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) responsible for more cinematic masterpieces than anyone else. He remains best known for historical films from the 1950s such as "The Seven Samurai," "Rashomon," "Throne of Blood," and for the color-film masterpieces ...

Pros: The highly entertaining story,brilliant direction and the magnificent Mifune
Cons: Absolutely none.

Kurosawa, a visionary filmmaker in any country, produced a wonderful story, which transcends time, cultures, languages and even the media. The story of Sanjuro makes a good companion piece to Seven Samurai(1954), where we meet Mifune for the first...

Pros: It is a Kurosawa Akira masterpiece.
Cons: Are you kidding me?

Sanjuro (1962) Directed by Kurosawa Akira Sanjuro is both a sequel and prequel to Kurosawa Akira’s famed Yojimbo. Filmed one year later, the story takes place earlier. Both follow the exploits of Sanjuro, a ronin ...

Pros: Kurosawa's Direction, Script, Action, Cinematography, Look, Editing, Ending, & Cast.
Cons: Feels a Bit Disjointed, Lack of Development in Minor Characters.

Following the release of Yojimbo in 1961, Akira Kurosawa immediately made a sequel to the successful by reuniting with its star Toshiro Mifune for a sequel about his character Sanjuro simply titled Sanjuro. Directed by Akira Kurosawa ...

Pros: Another excellent Kurosawa production and the always masterful Toshiro Mifune embodying the samurai code.
Cons: Not for those who don't like subtitles.

There are some truly fascinating aspects about this film from Kurosawa. Except for the climactic final scene, for example, all the settings for this samurai drama take place in three settings in houses (all relatively close to each other), with one ...

Pros: A powerful performance by Mifune; combines action and comedy
Cons: The script and editing could have been tighter

For many Western viewers, the great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa is associated first and foremost with samurai films and the actor Toshirô Mifune. Sanjuro (1962) is one reason why. Historical Background: Akira Kurosawa was ...

Pros: Conflicted hero exhibits morals, wisdom, & skill; mix of drama, action, and comedy.
Cons: The hero is the only character developed

Sanjuro is a wandering Samurai, who decides to help a group of young, simple-minded warriors uncover corruption within their town. When he comes across the men, they are discussing who may be the town’s traitor, either the handsome Superintendent or the...

Pros: Kurosawa's beautiful direction. Mifune's flawless performance.
Cons: Not one.

This is to be the sixth entry in an ongoing series of reviews called The Samurai Papers. In these reviews we are exploring the samurai genre. The previous reviews in the series are: Yojimbo,

Pros: Great action, delightful sense of humor
Cons: Kurosawa didn't make any more Sanjuro films after this one

This is probably my favorite Kurosawa film, because in addition to being a brilliant action movie (a trait shared by Seven Samurai, Ran and Yojimbo), it's also very, very funny. "Sanjuro" is the nom de guerre of a wandering...