Sanjuro (Criterion Collection)

This movie is described as a satirical work, yet it is hard for the viewer to pick out what is satirical and what is just another movie with a questionable hero character. Toshiro Mifune stars as a Ronin (unattached samurai) that seems to have few cares in his world yet is a superb master of the sword. He encounters a group of naïve young samurai that are about to rebel against their clan leaders. Despite their enthusiasm, they have no organizational or strategic skills and their naïve nature will get them killed fairly quickly. Under the direction of the cynical Ronin, the group is tamed to the point where they can be controlled, yet they have to repeatedly be softly stamped into place. All of the weapons are either swords or spears and there is some wild powerful hero action where one man takes down several opponents at a time. There is a scene near the end of the movie where there is a duel between two samurai that reminds the viewer of the duels in American westerns. The two combatants stand a short distance apart and engage in a fast draw with their swords. This was one point of many that are similar to the American westerns where the strange drifter rides into town and seems to be indifferent to all that is happening. Yet, it is his skill that turns the tide against the evil forces and allows the good side to win. When the big gunfight takes place, he shoots all of his opponents down. There are some humorous moments, but they are only secondary to the transient hero story.