Yojimbo was such a good movie. Toshiro Mifune is probably my favorite actor. It seems to me, in my unschooled opinion, that some of the best face actors come from Japan. They are great at expressing themselves through looks and through voice. Subtitiles are almost a formality during certain scenes. And Kurosawa, he takes some interesting shots. I can’t quite figure out how to put my pictures in here, because I’m a Luddite and not quite willing to figure it out. I’ve uploaded some of Ben’s pictures, but can’t seem to get them up here. I’ll ask him on Wednesday.
More about Yojimbo. As Mary-Carolyn says, it is hardboiled without really being a detective novel. Compared to The Glass Key, there is no Janet, no Henrys at all. Sanjuro kills everyone who dies- and kills almost everyone.
I’ve seen A Fistfull of Dollars and really, Leone jacks it all from Kurosawa. Only, Eastwood’s Man With No Name uses fire to break out of captivity, like Ned Beaumont. So maybe Hammett influences them both beyond the obvious Kurosawa influence in Leone’s film.
A word on the music in Yojimbo. Wasn’t it awesome? Trumpets and thumpy drums. Minimalist, yet effective. Mr. Tarentino really steals everything he’s got, even the trumpets and drums. Not to mention the samurai swords. If you made Sanjuro a tall blonde woman, and made Yojimbo into an exploitation film, you’d get something like Kill Bill but far less violent. And better shot, too. Sorry, Robyn, I’ll take my authentic samurai any day.
Tired, better go get some other work done. Goonight goonight.