WILLIAM FLANIGAN SANJURO / CAMELLIA'S SANJURO (Lit.) / (TSUBAKI SANJÛRÔ). Viewed on Streaming. Restoration/preservation = ten (10) stars; cinematography = ten (10) stars; choreography = four (4) stars; subtitles = four (4) stars; "music" = one (1) star. Director Akira Kurosawa (who is also credited as a screen play co-writer) provides a comical and flowery (literally) addition to movie samurai myth and make believe in a sound-stage-entombed photo play about a wandering samurai (Ronin) with a sense of humor who turns up to provide adult sanity and guidance for local amateurs bent on going after their corrupt clan leaders but clueless as to how to proceed (and survive). Kurosawa fills his film with lots and lots and lots of dialog (especially funny one liners) and humorous nonsense including having the rebels living (anonymously?) in a mansion right next door to the corrupt clan leader's estate with the properties connected by a stream used to secretly communicate (with spies in the leadership's household) by means of floating camellia blossoms--I kind you not! Unrealistic, poorly- choreographed sword swinging (even the allusion of reality is left far behind!) briefly occurs here and there with the film suddenly ending in a fire-hose blast of blood from a samurai with EXTREMELY high blood pressure! This is first and last (and everywhere in between) lead-actor Toshiro Mifune's film (to the point of embarrassment). Kurosawa's reverential direction can be dispensed with along with the genuflecting cast. (But not the satirical script writers, cinematographer or lighting department personnel!) Cinematography (2.35 : 1, black and white) is always careful to photograph Mifune placed closest to the camera so as to make the actor look much bigger than all others in the frame (lighting is also employed to enhance this bigger-than-life effect). There are some unique photo angles and cleaver tracking shots (made through phony studio bushes). The wide-screen format is usually fully filled. As for "music," there isn't much beyond the use of sound effects especially that of a cracking whip. When subtitles are visible (white lettering on white backgrounds makes for guessing here and there), they appear to be close enough to the dialog. Enjoyable live-action cartoon movie. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

elvircorhodzic SANJURO is action drama and it is a sequel to Kurosawa's 1961 YOJIMBO.Nine young samurai has decided to oppose corruption in their clan. A nephew of a lord chamberlain is among them. His uncle tore up their petition against organized crime and argued that maybe he himself was behind the crimes. Young men are confused. A ronin has overheard their plans and decided to help them. Initially, the samurai want to fight, but the odds are overwhelming, so the ronin hides the samurai, confronts and hits a few of the attackers and bluffs their leader into leaving. The grateful samurai ask what they can do for the ronin and he asks for only a small amount of money to buy food because he is starving. However, a chamberlain who can help expose them is kidnapped and his wife and daughter are imprisoned in the house...Mr. Kurosawa did not offer a kind of wild samurai action in this movie. The harmonic plots are open at the beginning of the film. A crafty and satirical game comes after that. An experienced samurai has fallen into a very strange society and a corrupt political situation. Unlike Yojimbo, this movie is a bit frivolous and far more fun. Yojimbo is, with all segments, much better film.The characters are impatient, outraged and unprofessional. Such relations provide a whole new dimension to the familiar story. Women are a calming factor in this film.A mixture of pictures and sounds is excellent. Characterization is good, with one major flaw, because all the procedures are, more or less, predictable and a bit theatrical.Toshiro Mifune as Sanjuro Tsubaki is just perfect for this role. That combination of a laziness and craftiness, satire and tradition in his character is simply amazing. He is kind of a hero that other protagonists in this film need and deserve.The glory of ancient samurai comes to the fore at the end of the film.

Chris Silver Sanjuro (椿三十郎)- Japan 1961This is number 9 on the list.Sanjuro. The Samurai. Sanjûrô Tsubaki. 三十郎椿. I don't know if those are the correct Japanese characters but, I don't speak Japanese. Having said that, this movie is so great. I love, absolutely 100% adore the director-actor partnership of Kurosawa and Mifune. So many places they have proved time and time again that they only make movie magic. This film is fantastic. There is nothing I could see that is wrong or incorrect. The movie is just, Woah. The cinematography is pure, PURE Kurosawa, no one could do this story, no one could capture the words of the actors or even the slightest 'scratch-of-the-neck' of Sanjuro like Kurosawa does. I would usually say "I applaud" but for this certain movie, I bow to you Akira Kurosawa. The story lacks nothing. I have always wondered why people say so much of Akira Kurosawa's influence can be seen in Spaghetti Westerns and other westerns. This movie showed me. Long and intricate shots of only the faces of those worrying, or the final standoff fight scene. slow paced action but fast paced wit made this movie awesome.Mifune won a place in my heart with this movie. Sanjuro has unbreakable wit and clever thoughts though he may not seem to be the pure 'samurai' that is implied. I am ending this review saying that usually people may think that the use of subtitles us harsh and they don't like it. Or that subtitles take away from the jokes that the characters make. But the subtitles of Kurosawa's movies add to the movie for me. Not knowing Japanese, having to read the subtitles as they pass makes me pay even closer attention to the film. While with a movie in English, I could be folding laundry and just listening to the story as it happens. With any Kurosawa film, I claim that would be impossible.SilverRating: (and the highest yet) 8/10.

TheLittleSongbird I do love Akira Kurasawa's movies, especially Seven Samurai, Ran, Ikiru, Rashomon, Yojimbo, The Hidden Fortress and Throne of Blood. Sanjuro(sequel to Yojimbo) is not quite on the same level, but it is a fine film regardless and perhaps alongside The Hidden Fortress Kurasawa's most accessible film. It is very well made, with beautiful and sometimes epic scenery and superb camera work. Kurasawa directs with his usual flair, not as delicate as Ikiru, haunting as Yojimbo or as ambitious as Ran, but still highly impressive. The score is lively, the story is engaging, crisply-paced and always fun and the script is witty and tongue-in-cheek yet with a subtle edge. The characters are somewhat one-dimensional and not quite as identifiable as the titular character in Ikiru but still likable nonetheless, and Toshiro Mifune's lead performance is a very subtly fun one indeed. Overall, a great film but not my favourite from Kurasawa. 9/10 Bethany Cox