Over the course of a career that encompassed a staggering 170 movies, Japanese acting icon Toshiro Mifune is probably best known for his 16 outings with Japanese Auteur Akira Kurosawa. Through this work with Kurosawa, Mifune's identity within the cultural canon was formed: that of hyper-masculine samurai figures, who lived by their own rules, and bowed to no man. There's perhaps no better example of this than in Kurosawa's Yojimbo (1961), and its quasi-sequel Sanjuro (1962), which have both been released as a 2-disc set by the BFI in a brand-new 4k restoration.

In a plot that would be remade as the 1964 Spaghetti Western A Fistful of Dollars only a few years later, Yojimbo, which translates to ‘bodyguard', sees Mifune star as a mystic ronin, who stumbles into a feud between a rival sake brewer and silk merchant in a small Japanese town. With both gangs at an impasse, unable to beat their opponents, the arrival of a skilled fighter with no prior loyalties seems like a blessing in disguise. However, our hero Sanjuro (a name he picks based purely on what he sees out the window when asked), plays both sides against each other, fuelling the fight and setting it further towards its epic climax.

In Sanjuro, which functions as a companion piece rather than a direct sequel, our eponymous hero yet again finds himself stumbling into the affairs of a small town. This time, he finds himself supporting nine young samurai as they attempt to weed out a corrupt superintendent who has captured the chamberlain of the town, one of the samurai's uncles. In many ways it's lighter and more fun than its predecessor, and yet it allows us a look into samurai culture that challenges both the characters and the audience's perception of what it means to be a noble hero. In particular, one character refers to Sanjuro as a ‘sword without a sheath', and his reckoning with what that means is crucial to the film's final moments.

At the heart of the both films is the utterly incomparable presence of Mifune. In both these stories, townsfolk are quick to trust this stranger; yes, he does demonstrate his fighting prowess pretty much immediately, but it's the command and charisma that Mifune so naturally emanates that makes him so trustworthy. His actions in both are those of a man who's on nobody's side but his own, and yet we see genuine heart and honour. Whether this is from Sanjuro lying to allow a man to flee with his family in Yojimbo or his slowly growing disdain for killing in Sanjuro, Mifune plays our hero as a complex man with many faces.

While Kurosawa has shaped our contemporary Western understanding of samurai movies, both Yojimbo and Sanjuro reveal and then deconstruct that stereotype. And while the violence is graphic and brutal, both films are surprisingly funny, with Mifune's blunt line deliveries or chin stroking contemplation adding to their comic nature, an unexpected tone of humour and brevity that keeps these films afloat. This is furthered through an ensemble of goofy characters, be it the one guy in Yojimbo who keeps bringing a gun to swordfights, or the nine protagonists who follow the master around like schoolchildren in Sanjuro.

Given these film's simple narratives, they could easily play as dull or uninteresting, but Kurosawa's mastery as a director elevates them into something lasting. Kurosawa's understanding of the camera is on full display with his incredible blocking and framing throughout his films, everything feeling choreographed like an elaborate, yet delicate dance. His unique and precise command of space is especially prominent in Yojimbo, where the production design is paired with the aforementioned camerawork, inviting us into the claustrophobic atmosphere of this futile feud. The 4k restoration only serves to highlight the beauty of this cinematography. And its dazzling new sound quality helps lift Kurosawa's collaboration with composer Masaru Sato – as much a match made in heaven as his pairing with Mifune – with the deliberate placing of the music, and sound design more generally, feeling almost tangible.

Overall, these distinctly Eastern ‘Westerns' make for a fascinating watch, grounded by the meeting of masters in the enthralling performance of Toshiro Mifune and the kinetic direction of Kurosawa.

Special Features include:

Sword for Hire (discussion from Kurosawa scholar Jasper Sharp)
Audio Commentary for both films
Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create – making-of documentaries
Out of the Dust Storm and Into the Koi Pond (discussion on the role of nature in both films)
Alex Cox on Kurosawa
Original Theatrical Trailers

The newly restored Yojimbo and Sanjuro are out now on Blu-Ray and Ultra HD via the BFI.