It seems this film gets short shrift when people talk about it with Yojimbo, but I like this sequel better than the first. There’s a more action in this one, and there’s humanity in its gentle comedy. Many of the smiles and laughs come from the contrast of earnest, impetuous youth contrasted and skilled, weary experience of maturity. And this set-up even propells the story on several occasions. There’s a similar deft humor in the courtly ladies, who emphasize conventional correctness over expediency at nearly every turn. But their comic relief, too, has its warm and knowing truth, recognized by Sanjuro both when he has cascades of white camellias tossed in the stream and when he quotes the older lady about the sheathed sword. In fact, despite all its violence, Sanjuro affirms the wisdom of maturity over the earnest strength of youth throughout. Or maybe I’m just getting old.
I find Sanjuro himself interesting here as in Yojimbo. Unlike today’s action heroes, Sanjuro keeps his strength in check until he judges he needs it, and he is a paragon of judgment. Of course, he could take on Schwarzenegger if he needed to, but Sanjuro prefers to work in the realm of the trickster rather than the elephant, accomplishing his goals with his wit rather than his martial prowess. In addition to his controlled strength, this samurai is another 60s antihero, rejecting the status quo and following his own high moral code. He has more depth here than in Yojimbo, and that adds to the appeal of the film, too.So Sanjuro is a fun action movie with a compelling hero and a moral focus. I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
