Kurosawa double-header (1/2): Yojimbo (1961)

Belcourt is showcasing a Kurosawa series, including 14 of his very best, throughout the month of August. I have not seen most (i.e. 13 🤪) of them. It feels like film-ic destiny that I get to experience them for the first time on the big screen. In 4K! (well, most of them).

If you plan to watch more than 5 movies, I would recommend buying a 5-ticket pass ($45, $35 for Belcourt members) or a full series pass (14 total tickets for $98, $70 for Belcourt members). $7 for a Kurosawa flick on the big screen (most of which are 4k restorations!) - that's the best movie deal of the year! (and no, I do not work for the Belcourt Theatre) If you buy a pass, please keep in mind that you still need to reserve tickets for your showtime. Let me know if you have any questions.

Dir. Akira Kurosawa | Japan (in Japanese with English subtitles) | 1961 | 111 min. | NR | New 4K DCP Restoration

The incomparable Toshiro Mifune stars in Akira Kurosawa’s visually stunning and darkly comic YOJIMBO. To rid a terror-stricken village of corruption, wily masterless samurai Sanjuro turns a range war between two evil clans to his own advantage. Remade twice, by Sergio Leone and Walter Hill, this exhilarating genre-twister remains one of the most influential and entertaining films of all time. 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 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 (Aug 10, 12) matches YOJIMBO’s storytelling dexterity yet adds a layer of world-weary pragmatism that brings the two films to a thrilling and unforgettable conclusion.

If anyone’s down, we could meet up for a drink at a bar nearby before the movie.
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Purchase your tickets at Belcourt or online for the showtime below, and see you there!
Tuesday, August 12, 2025, 6:40 PM

Buy your tickets here