Cast: Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Rating:
Enetertainment Quotient: 60%
Genre: Action/Drama
Runtime: 96 mins
Language: Japanese
Color: Black and White
MPAA rating: PG

Synopsis:

Chamberlain Mutsuta is falsely accused and arrested by a corrupt superintendent in Japan in the eighteenth century. He is the leader of nine men. These nine men try to rescue Chamberlain from the superintendent. A wily samurai Sanjuro (Toshirô Mifune) comes from nowhere and helps these guys to get Chamberlain back.

What is special in the film?
When Akira Kurosawa directs a film, it has something majestic in it. Sanjuro is a sequel to Yojimbo. It talks about how a wandering Samurai helps nine naïve youngsters in getting back their uncle. He infiltrates the army to find out whereabouts of Chamberlain. The characterisation of Sanjuro is exceptionally good. The tricks used by him are amazing. Akira Kurasowa uses humour while narrating the film.

The scenes I liked?

1. Sanjuro killing the soldiers and telling the superintendent that rebels have killed them (2 times in the film).

2. The scene in which Chamberlain recognises the worth of Sanjuro and tells that he is like a powerful naked sword that is out of its sheath.

Tailpiece: Sanjuro is one of the lesser known Akira Kurasowa’s classics. It is the sequel of Yojimbo. This film is not a masterpiece like Seven Samurai or Roshomon. But a must watch for its own merit.