While most Western audiences are reasonably familiar with THE SEVEN SAMURAI and ROSHOMON, this is, in my opinion, the best work of director Akira Kurosawa. But, saying that this film itself is best isn't easy because this is actually a followup to the highly successful film, YOJIMBO that Kurosawa completed the year before. Together, they are just terrific and feature Toshiro Mifune as the amazingly skilled and clever wandering swordsman who is out to right wrongs and make the world a better place (much like the character "Zatoichi" in the long series of samurai films that debuted the same year SANJURO was released).
In this case, there is a corrupt local official and a very naive group of young and energetic but STUPID young men are about to expose his corruption to his boss--expecting the boss to act and restore justice. But, as Mifune is very clever and these guys are dumb but nice, he advises them NOT to go to the boss, as he, too, is probably part of the problem! They cannot accept that the boss is corrupt, but through Mifune's brilliant maneuvers, they realize the truth and assist him to restore peace and justice.
This movie is amazing because although there are some wonderful action scenes, the level of comedy is also pretty high and I loved the tongue-in-cheek aspects of the film. Plus, the ending is one of the strangest yet coolest in film history. You just have to see it to believe it!
In this case, there is a corrupt local official and a very naive group of young and energetic but STUPID young men are about to expose his corruption to his boss--expecting the boss to act and restore justice. But, as Mifune is very clever and these guys are dumb but nice, he advises them NOT to go to the boss, as he, too, is probably part of the problem! They cannot accept that the boss is corrupt, but through Mifune's brilliant maneuvers, they realize the truth and assist him to restore peace and justice.
This movie is amazing because although there are some wonderful action scenes, the level of comedy is also pretty high and I loved the tongue-in-cheek aspects of the film. Plus, the ending is one of the strangest yet coolest in film history. You just have to see it to believe it!