Yojimbo

Kurasawa attention to detail, his perfectionist nature in the realm of visual composition, this attention to detail leads Kurasawa to be almost godlike in his orchestrating of every scene. In Throne of Blood, the fog set the mood for mystery, deception, and the supernatural nature of the film. In Seven Samurai, the devastating rains set the tone in the town, the rains beating down the earth like the infiltrators beating down the villages moral. The rain also parodying the sadness the villagers felt knowing the are helpless. Because of the nature of rain, its lack of compassion of all it devastates, its uncontrollable nature, all parallels the bandits plaguing the village.

In Yojimbo, the bitter cold wind helps to explain the mood, along with illustrating the turmoil and hostel environment of this warring town. This also allows the fighters to keep their arms in their yukatas, so they can walk around looking both ferocious and crippled. This leads to an almost comic interpretation, because its so far from the truth, since both "rogues" are experts in their field. The gun in this film, its explicate nature as a source of power, combined with the stealing of another man's women, and another son's mother, all provide a kind of oedipul nature (the boys father represnting his own, him being able to take the beautiful women way from him, stealing her away).

The storyline, the use of violence, the adorable dog caring the hand out of the cursed town. This also tranfers though boundries, (I made some good points in my review of Titus). Kurasawa doens't just tell a story, he creates a truely Japanese expreiance. The husband and family groveling as the thank "30 Year old Mulberry Feild" , showing the ties to Japanese emotional nature. There is also the costuming, the setting (plants that are growing).

This film inspired "Fistful of Dollars", the main character inspiring meny meny more nameless saviors and sinners.