Sanjuro (1963)

Minor but fun work from Akira Kurosawa, kept afloat mostly by Toshiro Mifune's hugely amusing performance as the no-nonsense title character. In its best moments, it's like watching a chess game between two grand masters; at worst, it's still a pleasant diversion. While not in league with a good deal of Kurosawa's other films (least of all Yojimbo, the film to which it's ostensibly a followup), it's certainly entertaining enough to warrant a watch. The lighter tone may be due to the film's general rejection of unnecessary body-count violence, relying instead on strategy and wiles; in this light, the unexpectedly serious ending shows that maybe a third one of these films could have proved remarkably interesting.

Grade: B