--- title: "Yojimbo: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/yojimbo/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/yojimbo" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 6 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Yojimbo (1961): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 6 reviews: 5 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Yojimbo’s blend of samurai film, Western and black comedy, with praise clustering around Kurosawa’s visual control and Mifune’s performance. The reviews repeatedly single out the lead’s physical mannerisms, deadpan humour and pragmatic approach to violence, finding a compelling centre in a man with little interest in conventional heroism. Widescreen compositions, forceful action and cynical wit also draw approval, while several critics see the entertainment sharpened by its view of a cruel society. The spread is largely positive, with reservations concentrated in The New York Times rather than shared across the reviews. That review admires Mifune’s commanding presence and acknowledges passages of cinematic power, but finds borrowed Western conventions and technical virtuosity insufficient beside Rashomon. The main divide is over the genre borrowing: most critics welcome the mixture, while the dissent finds it less substantial than Kurosawa’s other work. ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2005. The critic praises Kurosawa's blend of samurai and Western elements in this tale of a cunning ronin who manipulates two rival factions in a lawless town. Mifune's charismatic, amoral performance and the film's sharp visual compositions and dark humor are singled out for admiration. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-yojimbo-1961) ## Slant Magazine — Rob Humanick Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 March 2010. The critic hails Yojimbo as a landmark Kurosawa film and perfect crowd-pleaser for its genre-blending entertainment value and sly political commentary. Mifune’s charismatic, physically expressive lead performance and the director’s masterful widescreen compositions and tonal balance are singled out for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/yojimbo/) ## Empire — empire Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. A wandering samurai plays two feuding gangs against each other in a small town until they wipe each other out. The film is noted for its cynical wit and influence on later spaghetti westerns. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/yojimbo-review/) ## Time Out — TR Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The film belongs in the select group of film noirs that are also comedies, marking a departure from Kurosawa's earlier sentimental moralising. It singles out the ultra-pragmatic, unheroic Sanjuro as the centrepiece whose laziness, mannerisms and violence reflect the town and society's cruelty. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/yojimbo) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 1961. The critic calls it a rousing, good story told with vigor and visual excitement by Kurosawa and splendidly acted by Mifune, with ideal remake potential. Mastery of the medium, adroit character choices, exciting camera work, and effective music are highlighted. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1960/film/reviews/yojimbo-1200419816/) ## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 1962. The review describes the film as a transposition of American Western clichés into a Japanese setting, with stretches of excitement and cinematic power from the master director Kurosawa. It notes Mifune's commanding performance but finds the film shows more virtuosity than strength compared to Rashomon. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1962/10/16/archives/screen-oriental-westernyojimbo-with-toshiro-mifune-arrives.html) ## Eye for Film — Donald Munro 16 March 2025. The critic praises Kurosawa's masterful blending of a late Edo-period samurai story with Western, film noir, and jazz elements into something wholly new and subversive. Mifune's scruffy, deadpan ronin and the film's innovative telephoto-lens action sequences stand out as highlights. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/yojimbo-1961-film-review-by-donald-munro) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/yojimbo.md