For a great deal of time, I've wanted to see the Akira Kurosawa film Yojimbo (1961) but have often put it off due to other priorities. When I finally sat down to watch the film, I was treated a piece of art that I have neglected from myself for so long. The movie, which stars the internationally popular Toshiro Mifune, is about a wandering samurai who wanders into a town torn apart by two rival families and sells himself out to both sides in an attempt to turn them against each others and make himself wealthy in the process. I discovered this gem from being a fan of Italian western film maker Sergio Leone who completely remade the film as A Fistful of Dollars (1964), the film which launched both he and Clint Eastwood to stardom.
A great appeal to the film is the stark cinematography. Shot on black-and-white stock, the visuals are shrouded in murky shadows which contrast with the strong pale whites of the sky and ground. It sets the mood of the story which is strong and violent, the heavy presence of death surrounds the village empty of all life save for a few quirky residents and the large handfuls of gang members. The film also made good use of night time photography which in the early 60's presented a great challenge to film makers. A particular scene comes to mind, that in which one lair is torched by a rival faction forcing all inside to flee outside and mercilessly slayed by their foes. The brightness of the fire and the still, solid black of the night create flickering luminance on the faces of the villains, an almost frightening image.
