Yojimbo (1961) (Spencer's Take on it)

Yojimbo. Akira Kurosawa. These are things I think of fondly. I LOVED Seven Samurai and I went into this movie expecting alot. Were my expectations met? Yes-ish. I would say they were for the most part. The action in this film was fantastically choreographed, and I was suprised at some of the wittier dialogue. The film was shot beautifully just like all of Kurosawa's work, but I constantly was wowed by the compositions that he set up. The editing was also really well done, using the wipes for the end of scenes and fade to black for the end of an act. He has strict rules like this that he adheres to and it's interesting to see this. The music was also good, and played along well with the action on screen.

Essentially what I'm getting at is that it is a perfectly crafted film. Akira Kurosawa knows the elements of film, and works them all together well. My only complaint was what I consider a fault of my own, that being that I felt a bit impatient at times during the film. I am not questioning Kurosawa's pacing, but moreso my patience. I feel like we are raised in this ADD enviornment where the media feels like it has to throw things in your face loud, bold, and fast.

If you like samurai films, this is certainly one of the greatest. I give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.