The action scenes in Samurai Saga are quite unusual, and accompany a tonal shift in the film itself. The action that takes place in the first half of the film is largely comedic and bloodless, such as Komaki’s amusing humiliation of Nagashima’s samurai on the kabuki stage, and Jurota’s battle with a large group of samurai, watched gleefully by Komaki. No one is hurt in these scenes; fallen samurai simply get to their feet and run away. This all changes after the Battle of Sekigahara sequence, which utilises some of the gritty battle scenes shot for Miyamoto Musashi. The scenes where Komaki, Jurota and other survivors of the losing side are gunned down by Nagashima’s troops are brutal by comparison. The choreography of Komaki’s last battle is also a contrast to the earlier scenes; he dodges among alleys, using the close quarters to dispatch his multiple opponents one at a time, and, in these scenes, they actually stay dead.
This shift in tone is very effective. Inagaki creates a gentler, whimsical mood in the first half of his film, which is shattered by the war and its subsequent violence. The earlier comedic violence causes the audience to let their guard down, which makes the real violence all the more effective.
THE VERDICT
Cyrano de Bergerac, samurai style. In the hands of a skilled director like Hiroshi Inagaki this works very well, and proves the flexibility of the genre.
† Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto’s highly informative work, Kurosawa: Film Studies and Japanese Cinema, contains a fascinating, in-depth discussion of the evolution of the jidaigeki genre, and is the source of the information in this summary.
THE 1960s
The 1960s saw an explosion of excellent samurai films, which forever changed the genre. This trend was brought about by Akira Kurosawa and two of his early 1960s films, Yojimbo and Sanjuro. Both starred Toshiro Mifune as Sanjuro, a ronin with a wry sense of humour and a quick draw. They featured graphic violence as it had never before been seen in samurai films; arms were cut off and shown falling to the ground, and in one particularly notable scene, blood spurts in a fine mist from the chest of one of Sanjuro’s fallen opponents. Furthermore, Kurosawa’s films had a wonderfully dark sense of humour, with Sanjuro fashioned as a callous but immensely likeable anti-hero. The moments of violence were used sparingly and to great effect in Kurosawa’s films, and clearly audiences approved. Yojimbo and Sanjuro were both very successful commercially, so much so that Toei and the other companies were forced to take notice.
The commercial success of Kurosawa’s work meant that the 1960s samurai films were free of the formulaic plots and slow choreography that had plagued many throughout the 1950s. This shift in focus ensured their popularity throughout the 1960s, with many released each year. This gave directors such as Kenji Misumi, Kihachi Okamoto, Masaki Kobayashi and Hideo Gosha a great deal more freedom, and resulted in consistently high-quality films throughout the 1960s. These samurai films were characterised by Sanjuro-style anti-heroism and graphic violence, but many also told moving stories, and were far more than the simple genre films they appeared to be.
The 1960s also gave birth to Daiei studio’s famous Zatoichi series. Featuring a highly skilled blind swordsman, these films benefited from a novel concept, a variety of good directors and writers, and leading man Shintaro Katsu’s very likeable portrayal of Zatoichi. The original Zatoichi series would last into the 1980s (Katsu starring in every film), and was highly influential, spawning many imitators.
Yojimbo (1961)
Japanese Title: Yojimbo
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Written by: Ryuzo Kikushima, Akira Kurosawa
Produced by: Ryuzo Kikushima, Tomoyuki Tanaka, Akira Kurosawa
Edited by: Akira Kurosawa
Cinematography: Kazuo Miyagawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune (Sanjuro), Tatsuya Nakadai (Unosuke), Yoko Tsukasa (Nui), Isuzu Yamada (Orin), Daisuke Kato (Inokichi), Seizaburo Kawazu (Seibei), Takashi Shimura (Tokuemon), Eijiro Tono (Gonji), Atsushi Watanabe (coffin-maker)
PLOT SUMMARY
Sanjuro, a ronin, arrives at a small town, and begins to provoke conflict between two criminal gangs, hoping they’ll wipe each other out, cleaning up the town. One of the gangs is led by Seibei and his cruel wife, Orin. The other is led by Ushi-Tora and his two brothers, Inokichi, a fool, and Unosuke, a sadistic man who uses a modern revolver instead of a sword. Sanjuro pretends to work as a bodyguard for both gangs, making them compete for his services. When Sanjuro frees a captive woman, Nui, who’s important to Ushi-Tora’s gang, his machinations are undone. Unosuke discovers Sanjuro’s treachery, and has him badly beaten by his thugs. Meanwhile, Ushi-Tora and his brothers eliminate Seibei and his gang in a surprise attack. Using his cunning to escape his captors, Sanjuro is taken to a temple to recover by Gonji, a grizzled old tavern owner who despises the gangs and what they’ve done to his town. When Gonji is taken captive and tortured by Ushi-Tora, Sanjuro returns to the town, and challenges Ushi-Tora and his gang. In the bloody battle that ensues, Sanjuro defeats the entire gang. Satisfied his work is done, the ronin moves on.
ANALYSIS
1961 audiences must have known they were in for something different when they settled down to the opening scenes of Yojimbo. The film has a feel and tone which are almost the complete opposite of the far gentler samurai films of the 1950s. In the first reel of Yojimbo we see a stray dog running through a dirty street, a decaying human hand in its mouth, and Sanjuro severing the arm of a thug, which we see fall to the ground. Used to the gentle, gore-free choreography of the 1950s films, Japanese audiences would have been unaccustomed to such images.
Also, the potent tone director Akira Kurosawa brings to Yojimbo would have been largely new and fresh to Japanese audiences. The town Sanjuro wanders into is desolate and barren, free from any life except the aforementioned dog and the nasty thugs of two rival criminal gangs. The only person enjoying himself is the coffin-maker, whose business has never been better. Kurosawa matches the desolate appearance of the town with swift and graphic violence throughout Yojimbo; aside from the severed arm, we see gang members murder their enemies as they flee a burning house, and the film’s climactic ending is far bloodier than any samurai film before it.
Despite Yojimbo’s reputation for violence, scenes of brutality are actually used quite sparingly in the film, with relatively few such moments appearing in comparison to other 1960s samurai films, or even Kurosawa’s earlier work, Seven Samurai. The graphic scenes, spread throughout, are used to punctuate key moments, often sudden and unexpected, so the audience doesn’t become desensitised to their effect.
Sanjuro (Toshiro Mifune) in action. Yojimbo directed by Akira Kurosawa and produced by Ryuzo Kikushima, Tomoyuki Tanaka and Akira Kurosawa for Toho Studios.
Amazingly, Kurosawa is able to blend this sombre, violent tone with humour to create a very effective black comedy. Sanjuro himself has an unusual wit, and his callousness makes much of the film darkly funny; after killing three thugs he casually remarks to the coffin-maker that he should make three more coffins. Worthy of mention is Inokichi (Daisuke Kato), brother of Ushi-Tora, the leader of one of the rival gangs. Inokichi is very stupid, and the scene in which he is tricked into helping carry a badly beaten Sanjuro (who is hidden in a coffin) to safety is made hilarious by the exuberance Daisuke Kato brings to the role. Perhaps the moment which best epitomises the thread of humour running through Yojimbo is when Sanjuro, badly beaten and scarred around his face, attempts to reassure Gonji that he is alright by smiling. The image of Toshiro Mifune’s face, made up with open wounds and dark bruises, with a huge smile, is disturbing yet funny, particularly when Gonji, horrified, remarks: ‘You make it worse when you smile!’
The tonal shifts in Yojimbo are facilitated and accentuated by changes in Masaru Sato’s excellent score. The theme accompanying Sanjuro’s march into town is skilfully written, and perfectly conveys the energy and menace of his character.
‘You make it worse when you smile!’ Sanjuro (Toshiro Mifune) tries his best to look healthy. Yojimbo directed
by Akira Kurosawa and produced by Ryuzo Kikushima, Tomoyuki Tanaka and Akira Kurosawa for Toho Studios.
The entire cast of Yojimbo performs admirably but, as usual, special mention must go to Toshiro Mifune. Here he plays a character very different to his usual role of the loud, unkempt individual (for example, see his performances in Seven Samurai, Red Lion and Daredevil in the Castle), instead playing a stern ronin with a streak of dark humour. Also worthy of mention is Tatsuya Nakadai, who performs admirably as the sadistic Unosuke, foreshadowing his classic portrayal of Ryunosuke in Sword of Doom.
Japanese audiences appreciated the innovations in Kurosawa’s film, and both Yojimbo and its sequel, Sanjuro, were hugely successful. This success was so widespread that many other samurai film directors adopted their sombre tone and graphic portrayal of violence, which led to huge changes in the genre.
Yojimbo also had a considerable effect on how the anti-hero was represented, both in samurai films and genres outside of Japanese cinema. Sanjuro is clearly an individual of high morals. He cleans up the town because he finds corruption there; he doesn’t profit from this course of action, and, in fact, nearly dies. Coupled with Sanjuro’s morality, however, is a callous disregard for the lives of those he judges to be evil, which clearly places him in the category of anti-hero. While Kurosawa is not the first to use the anti-hero in a genre film, in Yojimbo he creates his own unique brand of anti-heroism.
Yojimbo was remade by an Italian, Sergio Leone, as A Fistful of Dollars, a hugely successful film which was the first of the spaghetti western genre. Leone’s adaptation of Yojimbo was completely unauthorised, something which understandably frustrated Kurosawa. He took legal action against Leone, in which he was successful, and was awarded a percentage of the takings of A Fistful of Dollars.
Leone’s central character, played by Clint Eastwood, also displayed a black comedy in his callousness, and was even more of an anti-hero than Sanjuro; Leone’s gunslinger takes on the gangs for no reason other than profit, and at the end of the film walks away with hundreds of dollars, unlike Sanjuro, who leaves only with his life and his sword. This cool form of anti-heroism would persist through the entire spaghetti western genre, which in turn would have a large effect on genre films worldwide.
THE VERDICT
Every aspect of Yojimbo shines; Kurosawa creates a highly evocative tone, at times both deliciously sombre and hilariously funny. This combined with vigorous performances from Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai creates what is not only one of the greatest samurai films of all time, but also one of the most entertaining films of any genre. This is the perfect place to start if you haven’t seen any samurai films.
Sanjuro (1962)
Japanese Title: Tsubaki Sanjuro
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Written by: Adapted by Ryuzo Kikushima, Hideo Oguni and Akira Kurosawa from the novel by Shugoro Yamamoto
Produced by: Ryuzo Kikushima, Tomoyuki Tanaka
Edited by: Akira Kurosawa
Cinematography: Fukuzo Koizumi, Takao Saito
Cast: Toshiro Mifune (Sanjuro), Tatsuya Nakadai (Hanbei), Yuzo Kayama (Iori), Reiko Dan (Chidori), Takashi Shimura (Kurofuji), Kamatari Fujiwara (Takebayashi), Takako Irie (Mutsuta’s wife), Masao Shimizu (Kikui), Yunosuke Ito (Mutsuta)
PLOT SUMMARY
Overhearing a group of young samurai plotting to find and remove corrupt officials in their clan, Sanjuro, the ronin we met in Yojimbo, reluctantly offers them his advice and help. Sanjuro deduces that Chamberlain Mutsuta, the man the youths suspect, is, in fact, a good man, and that Superintendent Kikui, the man the youths thought was their ally, is actually the leader of the conspiracy. Sanjuro saves the youths from the conspirator’s men, then sets about helping them free the Chamberlain, who has been captured by Kikui and his men, who are attempting to make him sign a false confession. Sanjuro gains the trust of Hanbei, one of the leading samurai amongst the conspirators, and infiltrates their group. Although exposed as a traitor by Hanbei, Sanjuro is able to send his troops on a false errand, creating an opportunity for the youths to capture the ringleaders and rescue the Chamberlain, which they do. Sanjuro turns down a place in the clan, a reward offered for his efforts, and finds Hanbei waiting for him. In a final duel Sanjuro is victorious, but counsels the youths against becoming killers.
ANALYSIS
Sanjuro is Kurosawa’s sequel to Yojimbo, and was just as much a commercial success. Toshiro Mifune reprises his role as Sanjuro, thewandering ronin, and brings the same cynicism and harsh sense of humour to the character as he did in Yojimbo. This time Sanjuro becomes embroiled in an internal dispute taking place in a large samurai clan.
Like Yojimbo, Sanjuro manages to be both brutal and humorous. Much of the humour comes from Sanjuro’s interaction with the young samurai, who for all their righteous zeal are woefully ineffective in the cunning game of wits Sanjuro must undertake against the corrupt officials. The youths’ constant blundering, and Sanjuro’s reaction, creates the opportunity for several comic set pieces, all of which work extremely well thanks to a clever script and perfect comic timing from the well-picked cast. In one scene, Sanjuro is finally able to convince the young samurai that the best course of action is to wait and see what move their enemy makes. The youths rush around excitedly (and ineffectually), while the poor, exhausted ronin tries to get some sleep. This soon becomes impossible, as the youths constantly slam the door, waking Sanjuro each time he nods off.
The battle scenes in Sanjuro actually manage to exceed the violence of Yojimbo, quite an achievement in early 1960s Japan. Sanjuro’s altercation with a large group of armed warriors at the film’s beginning is greatly enhanced by the added sound effect of his sword cutting through fabric and flesh. The duel at Sanjuro’s conclusion is a true milestone for the samurai film, being the first to use the spraying-blood special effect which has become a staple of the genre. To achieve the effect fake blood is held under pressure and then released at the appropriate moment, creating a vibrant spray of blood as a character is cut down. It is surely here that it is used to its greatest effect. As in Yojimbo, the violence in Sanjuro is often surprising, and used with great economy to punctuate key moments of the film.
Kurosawa flawlessly balances the humorous and violent aspects of his film, creating a highly entertaining product. However, Sanjuro is also thought-provoking, and for all its graphic fight sequences, ultimately delivers a condemnation of violence. Unlike Yojimbo, in Sanjuro, the callous ronin actually meets someone who he can learn from. After rescuing the Chamberlain’s wife, Sanjuro is forced to consider his actions more carefully when she admonishes him for killing too readily. She likens Sanjuro to a sword, saying he is too sharp. Sanjuro is forced to yield to her wisdom, later becoming enraged when the blundering of the young samurai forces him to kill some of the conspirator’s men. Sanjuro is presented at the end of the film as a slightly tragic character; he doesn’t want to kill but frequently finds it necessary for his survival. He is offered a place in the clan, but cannot accept because he’s accustomed to the freedom of his ronin lifestyle; he has no place in civilised society. Kurosawa presents the anti-violent message in his film through a series of clever lines and Sanjuro’s predicament. This message is integrated seamlessly into the film, and loses none of its integrity.
THE VERDICT
Like Yojimbo, Sanjuro is an absolute classic, and a must-see for anyone interested in samurai films, featuring swift battle scenes, humorous and well-crafted characters and a thought-provoking plot.
The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)
Japanese Title: Zatoichi monogatari
Directed by: Kenji Misumi
Written by: Adapted by Minoru Inuzuka from a story by Kan Shimozawa
Produced by: Ikuo Kubodera
Edited by: Kanji Suganuma
Cinematography: Chishi Makiura
Cast: Shintaro Katsu (Zatoichi), Masayo Banri (Tane), Michio Minami (Tate), Shigeru Amachi (Hirate), Eijiro Yanagi (Sukegoro), Ryuzo Shimada (Shigezo), H
ajime Mitamura (Hanji), Manabu Morita (Seisuke)
PLOT SUMMARY
Zatoichi, the blind masseur and deadly swordsman, arrives in the town of Iioka. He decides to stay with Sukegoro, a yakuza boss he knows. Sukegoro is preparing for a war with his rival, Shigezo. He hopes to use Zatoichi’s skill on his side, and does all he can to keep the blind man happy, assigning Tate, one of his nastier thugs, to look after him. Zatoichi spends his time in Iioka relaxing, fishing at a nearby lake, where he meets Hirate, a disgraced samurai hired by Shigezo. The two form a strong friendship, realising they may face each other on the battlefield. Zatoichi rescues Tane, Tate’s sister, from Seisuke, a yakuza thug who desires her, and she falls in love with him. The tensions between the two gangs escalate and result in a war. It seems as though both Zatoichi and Hirate won’t participate, but Hirate is manipulated into fighting by Shigezo, which also draws Zatoichi into the fray. Hirate insists they fight, as he wants to die at the hands of a master, rather than thugs. Zatoichi wins the duel, but is sad to have lost his friend. Sukegoro’s men win the battle, and Zatoichi yells at him for the pointless waste of so many men, before seeing to Hirate’s burial. Tate attempts to kill him, but only ends up killing himself. Tane waits on the road for Zatoichi but he avoids her by taking a longer route through the mountains.
Samurai Films Page 5