---
product_id: 664967386
title: "Yojimbo / Sanjuro: Two Samurai Films by Akira Kurosawa (The Criterion Collection) [4K UHD]"
brand: "toshiro mifune, akira kurosawa"
price: "¥20027"
currency: JPY
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url: https://www.desertcart.jp/products/664967386-yojimbo-sanjuro-two-samurai-films-by-akira-kurosawa-the-criterion
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region: Japan
---

# Yojimbo / Sanjuro: Two Samurai Films by Akira Kurosawa (The Criterion Collection) [4K UHD]

**Brand:** toshiro mifune, akira kurosawa
**Price:** ¥20027
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** Yojimbo / Sanjuro: Two Samurai Films by Akira Kurosawa (The Criterion Collection) [4K UHD] by toshiro mifune, akira kurosawa
- **How much does it cost?** ¥20027 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.jp](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/664967386-yojimbo-sanjuro-two-samurai-films-by-akira-kurosawa-the-criterion)

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- toshiro mifune, akira kurosawa enthusiasts

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## Description

Thanks to perhaps the most indelible character in Akira Kurosawa’s oeuvre, Yojimbo surpassed even Seven Samurai in popularity when it was released. The masterless samurai Sanjuro, who slyly manipulates two warring clans to his own advantage in a small, dusty village, was so entertainingly embodied by the brilliant Toshiro Mifune that it was only a matter of time before he returned in a sequel. Made just one year later, Sanjuro matches Yojimbo ’s storytelling dexterity yet adds a layer of world-weary pragmatism that brings the two films to a thrilling and unforgettable conclusion. 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES 4K digital restorations, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks Two 4K UHD discs of the films and two Blu-rays with the films and special features Optional DTS-HD Master Audio Perspecta 3.0 soundtracks, preserving the original simulated stereo effects Audio commentaries by Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince Documentaries on the making of Yojimbo and Sanjuro, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create Teasers and trailers Stills galleries of behind-the-scenes photos PLUS: Essays by film writers Alexander Sesonske and Michael Sragow and comments from Kurosawa and members of his casts and crews YOJIMBO The incomparable Toshiro Mifune stars in Akira Kurosawa’s visually stunning and darkly comic Yojimbo. To rid a terror-stricken village of corruption, wily masterless samurai Sanjuro turns a range war between two evil clans to his own advantage. Remade twice, by Sergio Leone and Walter Hill, this exhilarating genre-twister remains one of the most influential and entertaining films of all time. SANJURO Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Akira Kurosawa’s tightly paced, beautifully composed Sanjuro. In this sly companion piece to Yojimbo, jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan’s evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a “proper” samurai on its ear. Less brazen in tone than its predecessor but equally entertaining, this classic character’s return is a masterpiece in its own right.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Contributor | Akira Kurosawa, Toshiro Mifune |
| Customer Reviews | 4.9 out of 5 stars 1,064 Reviews |
| Format | 4K |
| Genre | Action, Drama |
| Language | Japanese |
| Runtime | 3 hours and 25 minutes |

## Product Details

- **Contributor:** Akira Kurosawa, Toshiro Mifune
- **Format:** 4K
- **Genre:** Action, Drama
- **Language:** Japanese
- **Runtime:** 3 hours and 25 minutes

## Images

![Yojimbo / Sanjuro: Two Samurai Films by Akira Kurosawa (The Criterion Collection) [4K UHD] - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81+zO8MVNrL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A worthy addition to anyone's collection of Criterion releases
*by  on Reviewed in the United States August 3, 2011*

Akira Kurosawa is a director that anyone seriously interested in film has heard of, but not a filmmaker whose works I am particularly familiar with. As I have spent the past year purchasing new release Criterion blu-rays, I decided to take a chance on a collection of two of Kurosawa's best known films -- Yojimbo and Sanjuro. Suffice it to say, I am not the least bit disappointed.Yojimbo is without a doubt the rosetta stone for a single archetype -- the antihero. In this case, masterless samurai (or ronin), Sanjuro played by the charismatic actor Toshiro Mifune. As a fan of comics, science fiction, fantasy and action films, I have seen variations of Sanjuro throughout my life, but never realized that so many characters began with the protagonist of Kurosawa's Yojimbo. Most notably, Clint Eastwood's "Man With No Name" in Sergeio Leonne's remake of Yojimbo (re: rip-off), A Fist Full of Dollars. And it's a testament to Kurosawa's skill as a director that with so many derivative descendants, Yojimbo is still an incredibly compelling film, surprisingly modern in its sensibilities and most importantly, funny and entertaining.Yojimbo is set in a town beset by two rival factions of Yakuza. Sanjuro, an aging wandering samurai, arrives in the town and decides to set both sides against each other for nothing more than his own personal amusement. What follows is a dark comedy as Sanjuro acts as an agent of chaos, shattering the delicate balance of power in the town.Created as a quick follow up to capitalize on the popularity of Yojimbo, Sanjuro is a very different story and casts Sanjuro in a slightly different role. Nine young samurai discover corruption within their local clan. As they begin to align against the suspected source of the corruption, they stumble upon Sanjuro, who quickly realizes that they have the situation entirely wrong. Unlike Yojimbo, where Sanjuro acts alone, here he serves a mentor figure and leader to the nine samurai. In addition, Sanjuro is portrayed more of a traditional hero, motivated by altruism rather than boredom and money, though still shabby and uncouth. Sanjuro is an entertaining film, but not the classic that Yojimbo is.The transfers on the two blu-rays are top notch -- there's a little flicker here and there, but overall Kurosawa's black and white compositions look phenomenal. Extras are sparse for a Criterion edition, but include segments from a Japanese documentary on Kurosawa's career, as well as commentary tracks from Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince. Although a little dry, Prince's commentaries are very illuminating, providing important context for both the historical period in which the two films are set, as well as for the production of the films.All in all, the Yojimbo & Sanjuro two-pack is well worth your money -- and at $50 on Amazon, is also an incredible bargain.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Criterion Follows Their Amazing Seven Samurai Release With These Two Kurosawa Essentials
*by  on Reviewed in the United States February 1, 2007*

MOVIES:Introduction:When you talk about an Akira Kurosawa film there is very little to say because his films speak way more than what any reviewer can write. Any filmmaker or film enthusiast can tell you that Kurosawa is one of the greatest directors to have ever made films. Not only is he able to tell grand and epic stories but he is able to keep his characters intimate with the audience. He is probably the single most influential director to have ever lived. Now the good folks over at Criterion have blessed us with remastered editions of Yojimbo and Sanjuro, two classic samurai masterpieces by the great director. Criterion wowed us last year with their remastered release of Seven Samurai, which was my favorite DVD of the year. This release, while not as extensive as the Seven Samurai three disc set, is still something to jump over. Since Sergio Leone is my favorite director you can assume that Akira Kurosawa is close behind in my taste in film, especially these two films. The two films can be purchased separately, but I highly recommend buying this box set as it will not only save you money but save you shame when you tell people that you own one but not the other.Yojimbo:The thing that surprises me the most about Yojimbo was that it was a film that was inspired by American westerns yet was even a bigger inspiration for the genre after it was made. The story is about a masterless samurai who wanders into an old town looking for food and shelter, maybe a job if he can find one. He notices that the entire town is deserted and the first thing he sees is a small dog happily trotting down the dirt street with a severed human hand in its mouth. That image right there sets the entire tone for this fun adventure film with a slight comedic side to it. The masterless samurai who is known as Sanjuro then realizes that the town is in the middle of a gang war with two feuding sides. He takes refuge with an old shopkeeper and decides to use this feud to his advantage. He plays both sides and manipulates each of the gangs in hopes of ridding the town of both groups and making a little profit during the process.Even though the film was made in 1961 it's still as accessible today as any other film would be. Kurosawa was ahead of his time when it came to pacing films and structuring them. His characters were also so boldly developed that they became unforgettable. His visual style is probably the most unique of any director. The reason why Sergio Leone is my favorite director is because of his appreciation for cinematography and Akira Kurosawa had the same appreciation. While Leone may have been inspired by Kurosawa it was Leone who pushed the limits of the widescreen frame in terms of composition. Kurosawa was never as extreme as Leone was, but his films were nonetheless interesting to watch due to the brilliant cinematography. The final showdown at the end of the film is breathtaking all due to what is captured within the frame. Truly impossible to describe, it must be seen.When you talk about iconic actors you always come across Toshiro Mifune who embodied the role of the masterless samurai to perfection. Just the mannerisms he uses in the film are entertaining to watch. He'll scratch his beard leisurely in the tensest situations, or even roll his shoulders around as he walks about. While Clint Eastwood without a doubt created his own icon in the Leone westerns, it is without a doubt heavily inspired by Toshiro Mifune.Sanjuro:With the immediate success of Yojimbo in Japanese cinema it was inevitable that a sequel was wanted by the studio. When Akira Kurosawa was approached to do a sequel he assured them that he didn't want to do any old sequel, and he didn't. Sanjuro has no relation to the previous film except for the main character. The first scene of the film finds a group of nine samurai in a small abandoned house waiting to be contacted and all the while discussing the state of their clan. Of course our "hero" is sleeping in the closet and ends up hearing their situation. Sanjuro emerges from the closet and tells them they are about to be betrayed and since they are blind to the world he decides to help them weed out the evil and corrupt members of their clan. Sanjuro is slower paced than Yojimbo, and I suppose there are less swordfights. However, just because there are less swordfights in the film does not mean the film has less action. Kurosawa cranked up the intensity of the battling and it makes the scenes all the more exciting. The film also keeps up with the comical side that we saw in Yojimbo. In the end it all dials down to one final samurai duel that will leave you breathless.Kurosawa paced this film a little differently than Yojimbo. We are almost thrown right into the action with no detailed introductions to our characters. We already know our main hero well, so there is no need to introduce him again. The nine young warriors almost act as one character so just explaining their situation was enough. Sanjuro teaches these young warriors the way of honor and to be weary of their surroundings. It's truly a magnificent film. By the end of the film you will know exactly where Tarantino got his inspiration for Kill Bill and for the style of blood used in the film.VIDEO: The highlights of these brand new sets are definitely the new high definition transfers, absolutely flawless in every sense of the word. The image could not get any better. Grain and dirt are practically non existent and no signs of any digital flaws. The image itself is not faded and textures come through crisp and clear. I never knew black and white could look so good. Both films are presented in their full 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratios.AUDIO: Sound is almost as perfect as the picture. We have included the original mono track in Japanese as well as a little bonus. Criterion knows that more and more homes are getting bigger and badder surround systems, but mono tracks on such a big screen may feel uninvolving for today's audience. So, we have an optional 3.0 Dolby track that was created to preserve the original Perspecta simulated stereo effects.Perspecta was a technology that embedded three separate audio tones into a mono track. It was a cheap alternative at the time since projectors did not need a new sound head. So the DVD is basically using 3 speakers to simulate this early technology that was used during the films' theatrical distribution. Bravo Criterion. Bravo. I'd also like to applaud the effort to provide newly translated and more accurate subtitles for both films.SPECIAL FEATURES:Yojimbo's Special Features:Commentary by Film Historian and Kurosawa Scholar Stephen Prince:The audio commentary is chock full of important facts and great analysis behind certain techniques used in the film. A must listen for film students and film enthusiasts because I bet anywhere else you'd pay lots of money to hear a professional speak at a seminar or a class to get information like this.The Making of Yojimbo:A 45-minute in depth documentary that goes behind the scenes of Yojimbo. There are plenty of interviews with crew members. They speak so much about Kurosawa that by the end you may feel like he was interviewed too. Lots of info such as using a telephoto lens for most of the film to get the look that Kurosawa wanted. Plenty of fun stories from crew members, an especially interesting one from the focus puller.Theatrical Trailer & Teaser:The original theatrical and teaser are included. They are nothing like what we know now as the theatrical trailer. It's fun little extra.Stills Gallery:Lots of pictures from the set of Yojimbo.Booklet:Includes an essay written by critic Alexander Sesonske and some notes from Kurosawa and his cast and crew.Sanjuro's Special Features:Commentary by Film Historian and Kurosawa Scholar Stephen Prince:The audio commentary is chock full of important facts and great analysis behind certain techniques used in the film. A must listen for film students and film enthusiasts because I bet anywhere else you'd pay lots of money to hear a professional speak at a seminar or a class to get information like this.The Making of Sanjuro:A 35-minute in depth documentary that goes behind the scenes of Sanjuro. There are plenty of interviews with crew members. They speak so much about Kurosawa that by the end you may feel like he was interviewed too. Lots of info such as using a telephoto lens for most of the film to get the look that Kurosawa wanted. Plenty of fun stories from crew members, especially one story about painting flowers for the highly demanding Kurosawa.Theatrical Trailer & Teaser:The original theatrical and teaser are included. They are nothing like what we know now as the theatrical trailer. It's fun little extra.Stills Gallery:Lots of pictures from the set of Sanjuro.Booklet:Includes an essay written by critic Michael Sragow and some notes from Kurosawa and his cast and crew.BOTTOM LINE: As a filmmaker and a film critic, I am simply floored by this set. I love Kurosawa's work, but these films especially since they went on to inspire my favorite director. Sergio Leone remade Yojimbo as A Fistful Of Dollars and added a whole new element to the story to make is just as great as the original. Leone used elements of Sanjuro for For A Few Dollars More and then he created his personal masterpiece with The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. Walter Hill remade Yojimbo with Bruce Willis taking the lead role in Last Man Standing. So, you can see that Kurosawa is simply one of the best filmmakers to have ever lived. Criterion continues to raise the bar in terms of home video distribution of important classic and contemporary films. This set is a must buy.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Yojimbo and Sanjuro
*by  on Reviewed in the United States February 6, 2007*

I'll admit up front I consider myself a Kurosawa fanboy so writing this is hard as I'm constantly trying to keep myself from degenerating into a fanboy rant. I'll just say with the nice price and the remastered video updating the problems with their original releases, this is a great release for those looking to get into Kurosawa films, or chanbara in general. Both films have a lighter tone and are shorter and funner than Seven Samurai and Ran and I loved the films plots over The Hidden Fortress.First up Yojimbo, like Seven Samurai one of the most copied of Kurosawa's films. This is fun film, that has a streak of black humor that the two remakes A Fistfull of Dollars and Last Man Standing lack. Mifune had a humorous quality to his acting that came up greatly in his role of Sanjuro the wandering ronin who strolls into town after hearing about it from a farmer quarreling with his son. With Mifunes performance, intelligent writing, Kurosawa as usual makes full use of panavision. The opening where Mifune walks into town where all the residents peek out from behind windows and doors is just awesome with the way the camera captures all the small actions. Theres not much more I wanna say except with the opening listen to the confrontation between Mifune and compare it to a certain scene in Star Wars A New Hope. Lucas not only copied many of Kurosawas movies but cribbed scenes from this one and others as well.Sanjuro is viewed by some like all sequels as inferior to the original. Personally its not a Matrix/Matrix Reloaded situation. Sure it doesn't feature a deep story like the previous film, but it does have the writing that I always like from Kurosawa and the humor in scenes that are great and add depth to the characters. Plus just one of the best endings ever. I've seen the film five times and I've always been suprised by it.Anyway this whole thing is a great package with excellent video, the usual essays that come from Criterion and the usual documentaries from the Its Wonderful to Create series produced by Toho that have been on other Kurosawa releases, and a cracking commentary from Stephen Prince who gives a in depth commentary definitely worht a listen. Its a great package well worth the price.

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