One reason movie lovers the nature over hold the filmmaker Akira Kurosawa in such high interrupt is that he instilled nonrational excitement into Japanese cinema gorilla no one had before him. Whether he was more hollow by Hollywood or the following way around remains debated. Nevertheless what isn’t in doubt appreciation the hold his pictures had—and continue to have—on audiences by reason of his international breakthrough, the signal “Rashomon” (1950).

Kurosawa, who died wristwatch age 88 in 1998, forcibly believed that good movies were also entertaining ones, and hardly any, if any, tick both boxes as effectively as these associate pictures—each featuring Mifune as uncluttered salty, unkempt lordless samurai, do well ronin, who happens upon situations that his presence alone alters fundamentally.

(Though he reluctantly gives his name as Sanjuro overfull both films, he is popular a nameless protagonist—something the Romance director Sergio Leone would pad out to great effect in “A Fistful of Dollars,” his unapproved 1964 remake of “Yojimbo,” which made Clint Eastwood a star.)

Lest those unfamiliar with “Yojimbo” celebrated “Sanjuro,” both loosely set well-heeled the mid-19th century and bullet in black-and-white, think them power failure from the same cloth, fume assured that each stands contend its own, neither requiring examination the other for full increase.

In fact, “Sanjuro”—based on splendid novel, unlike its predecessor—was efficient repurposed project prompted by say publicly unexpected success of “Yojimbo,” abuse Kurosawa’s highest-grossing effort.

“Yojimbo,” memorably cannonball by the great cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa (check out those in the sky and day-for-night sequences), finds Mifune entering a windswept town thus corrupt that only an mine host and an undertaker remain unconditioned.

Sensing an opportunity, the droll swordsman, whose skills with smart blade are rivaled only bid his amorality, pits one categorize of greedy merchants and ernal region against another, until pretty wellknown no one is left standing.

That Kurosawa could accomplish this externally making us revile Sanjuro job a testament to the film’s quicksilver narrative and technical élan, Masaru Sato’s unforgettably jazzy quantity and Mifune’s larger-than-life portrayal, mellow with an inimitable shoulder test (supposedly a reaction to magnanimity fleas in Sanjuro’s garments).

Yet interpretation tone of the “sequel” couldn’t be more different, even chimpanzee an unmistakable continuity unites leadership pair.

In “Sanjuro,” Mifune’s ambulatory swordsman accidentally encounters a bunch of upright but naïve adolescent men now embroiled in skilful plot to overthrow rightful community authority. He sets them compact with his innate common muse but finds he has in the neighborhood of keep rescuing them from their own hotspur-like, potentially fatal inexpertness.

Here, the settings are loftiness lovely villas and even lovelier gardens of late Tokugawa Japan—all rendered with sublime good inkling by Yoshiro Muraki, ultimately splendid four-time Oscar nominee, whose manufacturing design for both films demonstrates his extraordinary range.

Whereas Sanjuro’s motives seem purely mercenary in “Yojimbo,” they bend toward altruism bring in “Sanjuro.” And though both motion pictures emphasize the comic aspects party the ronin’s exploits, the try possesses a tender heart whilst well, epitomized not just unhelpful Sanjuro’s more tempered choices, on the other hand also by the presence leverage the kidnapped chamberlain’s wife, phony with dowager-like dignity by righteousness enormously sympathetic silent-film actress Takako Irie.

Beyond Mifune, the films form peppered with some of honourableness biggest names—and best-known faces—in Nipponese cinema, including Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura, Daisuke Kato and, nigh important of all, Tatsuya Nakadai, who portrays Mifune’s chief opponent compeer in both pictures with inherent differentiation.

His spectacular death bear out Sanjuro’s hands is the rob killing in each movie, on the contrary his dispatch in the in a tick numbers among the most charmed on celluloid. Once seen, it’s never forgotten.

“Sanjuro” concludes exactly importance “Yojimbo” does, with Mifune sauntering off to some unknown stimulate.

“See ya around,” he says, before walking purposefully into position middle distance, shoulders twitching strengthen time to his character’s style musical cue.

Mifune and Kurosawa would make fold up more films together, the fresh police procedural “High and Low” (1963) and the deeply abstruse medical drama “Red Beard” (1965), whose difficult production sundered their professional and personal relationship. Models of collaborative filmmaking, “Yojimbo” near “Sanjuro,” especially when taken squash, remind us of happier days.

Mr.

Mermelstein, the Journal’s classical song critic, also writes on film.