Trylove

Longtime Akira Kurosawa muse Toshiro Mifune’s grumpy ronin with a heart of gold in YOJIMBO (1961) codified the “man with no name” archetype on which Western movies survived for decades (including Sergio Leone's unlicensed 1964 remake A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS). The movie's synopsis – a town stuck in a bloody spat between two profiteering families is forced to reconcile when a mercenary swordsman blows into town – makes the movie sound significantly darker than it actually is, a fact highlighted by the humor that runs through its writing, editing, cinematography, direction, and acting. It’s an absolutely essential movie for understanding both Western and samurai cinema and a hoot to boot. Also, the soundtrack slaps. Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters.