Yojimbo (1961)

Overview · Where to watch · Cast & crew · Reviews

Kill one or a hundred... you only hang once

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.

• Released: 1961-04-25
• Genres: Drama, Thriller
• Runtime: 1h 50m
• Status: Released
• TMDB rating: 8.1/10 from 1,755 votes

Directed by Akira Kurosawa.

Top cast

• Toshirō Mifune as Sanjuro Kuwabatake / The Samurai
• Tatsuya Nakadai as Unosuke, gunfighter
• Yōko Tsukasa as Nui
• Isuzu Yamada as Orin
• Daisuke Katō as Inokichi
• Seizaburō Kawazu as Seibê - brothel operator
• Takashi Shimura as Tokuemon, sake brewer
• Hiroshi Tachikawa as Yoichiro
• Yōsuke Natsuki as Kohei's Son
• Eijirō Tōno as Gonji, Tavern Keeper

Full cast & crew

Where to watch Yojimbo

• United States: stream on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max; rent on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home; buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
• United Kingdom: stream on BFI Player, BFI Player Amazon Channel, BFI Player Apple TV Channel; rent on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video; buy on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
• Canada: stream on Criterion Channel; rent on Apple TV Store; buy on Apple TV Store
• Australia: watch free on SBS On Demand; rent on Apple TV Store; buy on Apple TV Store

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