The order of movies got all jumbled because I fell asleep halfway through watching Buried Wednesday night and then didn't feel like finishing it the next day. So I watched this Kurosawa samurai film instead. I have to say, it's not my favorite. That will probably always be The Magnificent Seven, but I have a couple of his others in my queue so we'll see.
A group of samurai are concerned about corruption within their clan so they meet at a local shrine to discuss it. A random ronin (Toshiro Mifune) is sleeping in the shrine, because it's free, and overhears them. Being an outsider, it is much easier for him to see that the samurai are being misled by the villainous superintendent (Masao Shimizu). The samurai are not inclined to trust him, being without honor and all, but after the chamberlain (Yunosuke Ito) is kidnapped, they realize they are about as useful in this situation as a glass hammer. The ronin, Sanjuro, sets up plan after plan to free the chamberlain and his family, essentially taking over the entire operation.
Have you ever been stuck on a video game level or a puzzle and some random citizen walks by and not only solves it in front of you but does it faster and with more flair than you ever thought possible? To the point where you would almost suspect witchcraft was involved? That's what this character was like. There is a message here about not judging people and about setting ego aside and taking a non-violent approach to life, but the group of samurai and, by extension, the audience are led to it by the nose. For me, that takes the "learning" portion out of the equation. Sanjuro essentially shows up, says "I'm better than you at everything", and walks off.
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