After the light-hearted fare of the past couple of weeks I thought I might turn to something of a more serious tone for my Sunday night movie pleasures. Several of my favorite drama however proved to be too lengthy for the time I had to watch a film. I settled on a classic Samurai movie, Yojimbo.

This is a movie that you are likely familiar with even if you have never seen it or heard the title. The director, Kurosawa is in my opinion one of the most copied directors to ever helm a picture. The plot of Yojimbo you may know under the remake’s title ‘A Fistful of Dollars.’ Or the really bad remake ‘Last Man Standing.’ But I feel the best is the original.

The story is simple a penniless wandering samurai – the character has no name – comes to a small town torn asunder by warring criminal gangs. While the Samurai creates an air of lawlessness around himself, he is actually a very moral man and works to bring peace to the town and the innocent people suffering under the stupid cruelty of the gangsters.

I said that I selected this film because I was looking for a darker tone, and there are certainly dark elements to this movie, but I had forgotten the moments of levity and genuine humor throughout the piece. It is a story about a good man in bad times. It is timeless and I am fortunate that I have been able to not only own a Blu-ray of this classic movie, but I have seen it projected on the big screen.

If you get the chance, rent it, this movie will not disappoint.