Yojimbo

Like Seven Samurai, Yojimbo was Kurosawa's tribute to the widescreen action Westerns of John Ford and was itself remade as a Western, lock, stock and barrel, by Sergio Leone in A Fistful of Dollars (1964). Played by the great Toshiro Mifune, the film's enigmatic samurai is a scruffy and itinerant warrior who wanders through a strange town and right into the middle of a war between two clans. Showing his skills with the samurai sword within minutes of his arrival, he soon has the town's rival factions competing for his services. Kurosawa's genius for storytelling combines with thrilling swordplay, a healthy dose of dark comedy, a soundtrack every bit as atmospheric and amusing as Ennio Morricone's and a towering performance from Mifune, to make Yojimbo an irresistible widescreen action adventure.