But Mifune’s global reputation—27 years after his death, he’s still Japan’s most famous actor—was cemented by two Kurosawa films from the following decade: “Yojimbo” (1961 ...

Made just one year later, Sanjuro matches Yojimbo’s storytelling dexterity yet adds layers of world-weary pragmatism that brings the two films to a thrilling and unforgettable conclusion.

with Yojimbo serving as a purely cathartic approach to confronting the banal evil men are capable of for money and power. The film was a massive success when it was released in 1961, with Akira ...