Yojimbo (1961)

This was one of the picks for Movie Club this week.  I can't believe it's been a decade since I saw it last.  It's still great and you should still watch it.  It's currently streaming on (sigh) Max and on the Criterion Channel.  Completely worth it.  Originally posted 04 Aug 13.    I have no idea if this is the right movie poster but it looks really badass so I'm keeping it. 

This is the original Akira Kurosawa film on which For a Few Dollars More is based.  It's been copied many a time but that's the best of the derivatives. 

A masterless samurai (Toshiro Mifune) wanders into a town divided amongst two gangs.  Each side has been hiring thugs and criminals in an escalating arms race over who is in control of the lucrative silk trade and gambling halls.  Seeing an opportunity, the samurai begins playing both sides off of each other, culminating in all-out war.

I found this film to be absolutely mesmerizing, even though I was already familiar with the story.  It's a Criterion collection Blu-ray so the quality is razor-sharp and the whole experience was highly enjoyable.  If you're a Kurosawa fan, you're already familiar with it but if you're new to Japanese cinema, or foreign films in general, this is a great introductory piece.