Yojimbo
1961 · 110 min
Directed by Akira Kurosawa. Written by Akira Kurosawa. Starring Toshirō Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yōko Tsukasa, Isuzu Yamada.
A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and sake merchant Tokuemon to hire him as a personal bodyguard, then artfully sets in motion a full-scale gang war between the two ambitious and unscrupulous men.
Critics 96% · audiences 96% · streaming on HBO Max · 1 Oscar nomination