One town.
And one stranger (Toshiro Mifune) who is going to tip the scales…
The progenitor of so many action, thriller and western plots, Yojimbo is a key cinematic text of world cinema.
So of course I only got around to watching it this year.
I had read Red Harvest, the book this film was inspired by, years ago, but I could barely remember anything. I have not watched A Fistful of Dollars in over a decade either so this was practically a fresh watch.
I have finally come around to the understanding that if a classic movie is playing on a big screen near me, I should go. It is not so much sanctity of the movie theatre at this point but the fact that I won’t have to worry about getting distracted by my phone or (if I’m on a computer) watching YouTube.
Anyway, back to the main event.
This movie is so effortless. The way it balances tension with humour is unbelievable.
And Mifune is the ur-text for every silent badass character to stroll into an action movie: everybody from Eastwood’s Man with No Name (for the one reader who does not know, Fistful of Dollars is a remake of this movie) to Jack Reacher.
The star is so gloriously minimal - you just watch him evaluating the people around him, giving away nothing within the story, but you can track every move that character is making.
And when he snaps into action, it is beautiful.
The most special aspect of his character to me is how he appears to be almost superhuman to everyone around him.
Yet thanks to Mifune’s performance, that facade is always presented as such to the audience.
He is a capable fighter, but he is still only one man.
He is very aware of the odds against him, and avoids direct confrontation as much as possible.
The one time he drops the facade is after he rescues the family. After disguising his massacre of the villains, he leaves their hideout to find the family waiting for him.
Terrified, he explodes and basically threatens them into finally escaping.
The film is packed with moments of humour such as this (the way the rival gangs advance and retreat, trying to avoid starting the fight is inspired), and they are so well-judged they never work against the stakes.
Just a great movie. If you have not seen it, rectify that now.
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