Sanjuro November 14, 2010

Part of the BAMcinématek series Kurosawa's Samurai

With Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yuzo Kayama

(1962) 96min

“Uproarious… Expertly parodies the conventions of Japanese period action movies, but the tone switches to a magnificent vehemence in the heart-stopping finale.” —Time Out London

Uninterested in making a typical sequel to Yojimbo, Kurosawa instead fashioned this satire on the samurai genre, which takes the dark comedy of its predecessor to a new level. Mifune mutters and growls his way through one of his greatest roles as a reluctant ronin helping a group of eager yet comically inexperienced samurai. But just when the comedy gets going, Sanjuro explodes in a fit of dramatic violence, exposing Mifune as a man uncomfortable with the many lives he has had to take.

Official Website: http://bam.org/view.aspx?pid=2696