Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Kurosawa's tightly paced, beautifully composed "Sanjuro." In this companion piece and sequel to "Yojimbo," jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan's evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a proper samurai on its ear.
Toshirō Mifune Tatsuya Nakadai Keiju Kobayashi Yūzō Kayama Reiko Dan Takashi Shimura Kamatari Fujiwara Takako Irie Masao Shimizu Yūnosuke Itō Akira Kubo Hiroshi Tachikawa Yoshio Tsuchiya Kunie Tanaka Tatsuyoshi Ehara Akihiko Hirata Toranosuke Ogawa Sachio Sakai Kenzô Matsui Toshiko Higuchi Tatsuhiko Namisato Yutaka Sada Gen Shimizu Shin Ōtomo Shōichi Hirose Minoru Itō Kōji Uruki Hiroyoshi Yamaguchi Fuminori Ōhashi
Sandžúró, Tsubaki Sanjûrô, Sandžiuro, Odvážní mužové, 츠바키 산주로, 츠바키 산쥬로, Samuraimiekka, Телохранитель 2: Отважный Сандзюро, Σανζούρο, צובקי סנג'ורו, Санджуро Цубаки, Sanjuro - Samuraj znikąd, მამაცი სამურაი, Цубакі Сандзюро, سانجورو, ซันจูโร่
AustraliaPG
Japan
USANR
FranceU
Netherlands12
AustraliaPG
Netherlands12
France
Australia
France
Japan
Netherlands
USA
Love how Mifune is constantly crouching and lounging on the ground, exhausted by everyone’s inanity. Why pretend you have the moral high ground when there is no such thing?
this film is basically just Toshirō Mifune calling everyone idiots for ninety-six minutes and I wouldn't have it any other way
The (super)heroic impropriety of a sword unable to be sheathed. Sanjuro's superpower is the knowledge that to establish a new system of law you have to violently violate the old system, but that this violence does not belong within the new system.
This is both why he succeeds (he's willing to go all the way) and why he can't stay afterward ("all the way" is "too far"). Sometimes an unsheathable sword is necessary (up against another unsheathable sword; "He was just like me..."), but it's too dangerous to keep around.
The eruption of blood here has an ethical dimension which is lost in its subsequent imitations. Sanjuro embodies this excessive bloodshed in a way that is both righteous and unacceptable.…
the perfect kind of sequel to yojimbo; funnier, bloodier, somehow shorter, yet more philosophical, mediating on the proper use of violence in a world of deceit. sanjuro himself exists on the borders of society, is able to grease the wheels of change, turn the tide of an unfair fight, but he doesn't belong among the naïve and headstrong warriors that he teaches and guides, because he possesses a true samurai ethics: avoid conflict and destruction when possible, and when impossible, only do what is necessary to protect the lives of others. he looks like a mangy dog, but acts like a man.
#madlad Mifune
'See ya around.'
What an absolute legend. The narrative of Sanjuro is so tightly wrapped around Mifune's character that even if I wanted to, I couldn't talk separately about each aspect without putting him at the centre of attention. I admire Kurosawa's switch to a more playful style in his 60s pictures. It is natural, elegant, and refined in its simplicity. The plot of Sanjuro is a classic good vs bad guys affair, but Kurosawa furnishes it with such wit and clever narrative switchups that undoubtedly establish him as one of cinema's most amusing storytellers.
Mifune is a romp. He is charmingly unhinged and almost distractingly intelligent. He plays the bored egghead who outwits everyone without ever spending…
#3100
One of the best sequels I've ever seen. Not sure if Toshirō Mifune is in more Kurosawa movies, but I hope so. What a legend.
I kind of messed up by watching all of Akira Kurosawa’s most popular films right off the bat. It’s something that I’ll never do again with a director because finding the motivation to get through Kurosawa’s filmography has been difficult knowing that I’ve most likely watched all the best already. Anyways, right from the start Sanjuro feels tonally quite different from Kurosawa’s other works. He’s always interjected comedy into his films but this one is basically a straight up comedy. It’s even in the comedy genre here on Letterboxd. I’m a fan of Kurosawa’s humour so I didn’t mind but this doesn’t quite compare to Yojimbo.
Sanjuro is a good film but it also feels like a bit of an…
The sequel to Yojimbo is another well crafted film from Akira Kurosawa, that’s further powered by the terrific characterization and performance of Toshiro Mifune. Yet another gem added into the combo’s filmography. The drama is neatly paced with amazingly detailed set pieces. Adding largely to the experience is the well written-timed humor, keeping one engaged and entertained right through. Highly recommended.
“The best sword is kept in its sheath. You'd better stay in yours.”
Kurosawa's catalog really is one of the best, isn’t it?
While I enjoyed Yojimbo a lot, it didn’t quite push me to watch its sequel right away. After seeing and loving Rashomon, though, I felt inclined to plunge deeper into his films. Sanjuro turned out to be an absolute blast, far exceeding my expectations. It’s a pure comedy disguised as a samurai flick, with humor that’s both witty and razor-sharp. The sword-fighting sequences are just as thrilling, and Kurosawa blends the two elements so seamlessly that it’s impossible not to enjoy the ride.
Once again, Mifune is outstanding. He balances comedic charm with the suave, badass aura of a ronin effortlessly. The simplicity of the plot works in the film’s favor, making it all the more fun and wildly entertaining. Sanjuro is, doubtlessly, a delightful samurai adventure that highlights Kurosawa's genius.
