Review of Yojimbo (1961) by Jeff L — 04 Jun 2014

One cannot watch Yojimbo without perceiving the tremendous impact the film had upon the Western genre. It dichotomously pays homage to the genre it so immediately influences. Further, Kurosawa is the master of simplicity, epitomizing the notion that less is more.

Driven by a singularly focused plot, Yojimbo excels in its restraint. There are no real flourishes or excesses, just pure machismo--calm and collected. The story is guided by Kurosawa's technical mastery, providing a study in how to utilize the moving camera to create perfectly framed shots, as well as staging a variety of scenes within a single frame; the depth of each image frequently captures the foreground, a mid-ground scene, and an additional layer of background.

These shots, like the story, are subtle, but reward viewers who get a kick out of that sort of stuff. For all it's simplicity, Yojimbo is a masterpiece both in its own right and as a point of reference.