The Bodyguard
– A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival ..
A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and sake merchant Tokuemon to hire him as a personal bodyguard, then artfully sets in motion a full-scale gang war between the two ambitious and unscrupulous men.
13 Sep 1961
Japanese
Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa (story), Akira Kurosawa (screenplay), Ryûzô Kikushima (screenplay)
Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yôko Tsukasa, Isuzu Yamada
Sanjuro, a wandering samurai enters a rural town in nineteenth century Japan. After learning from the innkeeper that the town is divided between two gangsters, he plays one side off against the other. His efforts are complicated by the arrival of the wily Unosuke, the son of one of the gangsters, who owns a revolver. Unosuke has Sanjuro beaten after he reunites an abducted woman with her husband and son, then massacres his father's opponents. During the slaughter, the samurai escapes with the help of the innkeeper; but while recuperating at a nearby temple, he learns of innkeeper's abduction by Unosuke, and returns to the town to confront him.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination.
Criterion Collection