Yojimbo ¹⁹⁶¹

In a town ravaged by rival gangs, the lone ronin, played by Toshiro Mifune, arrives. He decides to play both gangs off against each other to create chaos and serve his own interests, while increasingly putting himself in danger. Kurosawa shows how the ronin, driven by personal survival, brings about a temporary form of justice in a world of violence and corruption.

The film is both a thrilling action film and an exploration of moral ambiguity. The ronin is not a traditional hero, but a man struggling with his own choices in a violent world. Kurosawa's visual style, humor and use of violence make Yojimbo both a profound and compelling experience.

Together with the EYE Filmmuseum, we can now enjoy a restored version of this iconic work, which has deeply influenced film history. Yojimbo became a source of inspiration for many films, most notably Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Western A Fistful of Dollars (1964). Kurosawa's influence is unmistakable: his masterpiece remains not only an influential action classic, but also a philosophical meditation on the thin line between good and evil.