Sanjuro (1963)

SANJURO / CAMELLIA'S SANJURO (Lit.) / (TSUBAKI SANJÛRÔ). Viewed on Streaming. Restoration/preservation = ten (10) stars; cinematography = ten (10) stars; choreography = four (4) stars; subtitles = four (4) stars; "music" = one (1) star. Director Akira Kurosawa (who is also credited as a screen play co-writer) provides a comical and flowery (literally) addition to movie samurai myth and make believe in a sound-stage-entombed photo play about a wandering samurai (Ronin) with a sense of humor who turns up to provide adult sanity and guidance for local amateurs bent on going after their corrupt clan leaders but clueless as to how to proceed (and survive). Kurosawa fills his film with lots and lots and lots of dialog (especially funny one liners) and humorous nonsense including having the rebels living (anonymously?) in a mansion right next door to the corrupt clan leader's estate with the properties connected by a stream used to secretly communicate (with spies in the leadership's household) by means of floating camellia blossoms--I kind you not! Unrealistic, poorly- choreographed sword swinging (even the allusion of reality is left far behind!) briefly occurs here and there with the film suddenly ending in a fire-hose blast of blood from a samurai with EXTREMELY high blood pressure! This is first and last (and everywhere in between) lead-actor Toshiro Mifune's film (to the point of embarrassment). Kurosawa's reverential direction can be dispensed with along with the genuflecting cast. (But not the satirical script writers, cinematographer or lighting department personnel!) Cinematography (2.35 : 1, black and white) is always careful to photograph Mifune placed closest to the camera so as to make the actor look much bigger than all others in the frame (lighting is also employed to enhance this bigger-than-life effect). There are some unique photo angles and cleaver tracking shots (made through phony studio bushes). The wide-screen format is usually fully filled. As for "music," there isn't much beyond the use of sound effects especially that of a cracking whip. When subtitles are visible (white lettering on white backgrounds makes for guessing here and there), they appear to be close enough to the dialog. Enjoyable live-action cartoon movie. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

A crafty samurai helps a young man and his fellow clansmen save his uncle, who has been framed and imprisoned by a corrupt superintendent.Toshiro Mifune's sword fighting in the film was used in an extensive illustrated example of "samurai virtuosity with his sword" in "This is Kendo", a kendo manual published in English. As it should be! This is seen as a more light-hearted sequel to "Yojimbo", and indeed it is one of the few films I am aware of where samurai dance around in joyful glee. The violence is relatively low-key, with one crucial moment of gore, and the tone at times is even a bit humorous. Although not as praised as "Yojimbo", perhaps it should be.

Sanjuro, which is also in a way a sequel to Yojimbo, is quite different from his usual films because not only it packs exciting comedy but it has more intelligence than what you would expect from a classic B&W film. This is because Sanjuro is basically a cat-and-mouse mindgame.Unlike Yojimbo where only the main character controls the chessboard and the rest just followed like robots to the sequence of events, Sanjuro allows the main players (friend or foe) space to control the game and outwit each other. The funny moments were golden, especially the Lady, the confused guard who was locked and the scene with the flowers. Best of all, the greatest gem is the battle sequence between 2 master samurai right at the end. I actually came to like this more than Yojimbo because it seems to be an enhanced version in certain respects.

I do love Akira Kurasawa's movies, especially Seven Samurai, Ran, Ikiru, Rashomon, Yojimbo, The Hidden Fortress and Throne of Blood. Sanjuro(sequel to Yojimbo) is not quite on the same level, but it is a fine film regardless and perhaps alongside The Hidden Fortress Kurasawa's most accessible film. It is very well made, with beautiful and sometimes epic scenery and superb camera work. Kurasawa directs with his usual flair, not as delicate as Ikiru, haunting as Yojimbo or as ambitious as Ran, but still highly impressive. The score is lively, the story is engaging, crisply-paced and always fun and the script is witty and tongue-in-cheek yet with a subtle edge. The characters are somewhat one-dimensional and not quite as identifiable as the titular character in Ikiru but still likable nonetheless, and Toshiro Mifune's lead performance is a very subtly fun one indeed. Overall, a great film but not my favourite from Kurasawa. 9/10 Bethany Cox