This loose sequel to 'Yojimbo (1961)' sees the eponymous - though still, essentially, nameless - ronin throw his lot in with a rag-tag group of young men after they accidentally set a corrupt superintendent on their leader's uncle. 'Sanjuro (1962)' basically transposes its predecessor's 'playing one side against the other' premise to a political setting, with its intrigues and double-crosses all coming from a series of escalating cat-and-mouse games between the no-good government officials and the apparent trouble-makers who seek to expose them. Mifune's gruff, straight-to-the-point wandering swordsman is smack dab in the centre once again, attempting to solve the situation as peacefully as possible but inevitably having to draw his sword on more than one occasion (the final time leading to the infamous 'fountain of blood' moment). The character doesn't like to kill but, if his hand is forced, he's incredibly good at it, as skilled as he is ruthless. This time around, there seems to be a little more mediation on the act of taking a life; our hero seems to have somewhat of a crisis every time he cuts someone down. Violence is portrayed as a necessity here, an escalation of self-defence, but it is never once excused, which gives the thing a somewhat meditative, almost melancholic overall vibe. That doesn't mean it isn't fun, though. The movie is highly enjoyable throughout and has a surprising amount of successful humour, to boot. It's interesting, engaging and exciting. It's pretty much just as good as its big brother. 7/10
Review of Sanjuro
