Description:

Thanks to perhaps the most indelible character in Akira Kurosawa’s oeuvre, Yojimbo surpassed even Seven Samurai in popularity when it was released. The masterless samurai Sanjuro, who slyly manipulates two warring clans to his own advantage in a small, dusty village, was so entertainingly embodied by the brilliant Toshiro Mifune, that it was only a matter of time before he returned in a sequel. Made just one year later, Sanjuro matches Yojimbo’s storytelling dexterity, yet adds a layer of world-weary pragmatism that brings the duo to a thrilling and unforgettable conclusion. Criterion is proud to present this pair of Kurosawa masterworks in new, high-definition digital transfers.

DVD Collection Includes:

• Sanjuro: (Akira Kurosawa, 1962). In Kurosawa’s sly companion piece to Yojimbo, the jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan’s evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a “proper” samurai on its ear.
• Yojimbo: (Akira Kurosawa, 1961). To rid a terror-stricken village of corruption, wily masterless samurai Sanjuro (Toshiro Mifune) turns a range war between two evil clans to his own advantage in Akira Kurosawa’s visually stunning and darkly comic Yojimbo.

Special Features:

• All-new, restored high-definition digital transfers
• Optional Dolby Digital 3.0 soundtracks, preserving the original Perspecta simulated sound effects (with DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition)
• Documentaries on the making of Yojimbo and Sanjuro, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
• Theatrical trailers and teasers
• Stills galleries of behind-the-scenes photos
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: Booklets featuring essays by critics Alexander Sesonske and Michael Sragow and notes from Kurosawa and his cast and crew