Captured and tortured for this, the hero is saved by a local coffinmaker they’d befriended.

It Is A Very Fine Film, But It Is My Film."

This is especially true with Sergio Leone’sA Fistful of Dollars, which was released in Italy in 1964.

Yojimbo (1961)

However,Sergio Leone effectively remadeYojimbowith no authorization from Kurosawa, something not lost on theYojimbofilmmaker.

Kurosawa and Toho were awarded 15% of all revenue generated byA Fistful of Dollars.

This proved to be a lucrative compromise, with the success ofA Fistful of Dollarsearning Kurosawa a small fortune.

Clint Eastwood from A Fistful of Dollars and Toshiro Mifune from Yojimbo

Custom Image by Ana Nieves

Kurosawa sent Leone a letter stating “I have just had the chance to see your film.

It is a very fine film, but it is my film.

Since Japan is a signatory of the Berne Convention on the international copyright, you must pay me.

Yojimbo Film 1

A wandering ronin arrives in a town torn apart by two rival gangs. Using his cunning and swordsmanship, he pits the factions against each other, manipulating the situation to his advantage while dismantling the criminal empires from within, ultimately restoring peace through calculated chaos and deception.

This proved to be a lucrative compromise, with the success ofA Fistful of Dollarsearning Kurosawa a small fortune.

Which Is Better, Yojimbo Or A Fistful Of Dollars?

Each film uses their respective setting to their advantage, exploring themes of corruption from their respective post-war directors.

The Man with No Name preparing for a gunfight in A Fistful of Dollars

However,Yojimbobenefits greatly from Kurosawa’s unique sensibilities.

A Fistful of Dollars is a spaghetti Western film from director Sergio Leone starring Clint Eastwood.

Yojimbo Film 3

Cast Placeholder Image

a fistful of dollars

A Fistful of Dollars is a spaghetti Western film from director Sergio Leone starring Clint Eastwood. A Fistful of Dollars is notable for being Clint Eastwood’s big break in Hollywood and also for being the beginning of the “Dollars Trilogy.” The film was followed by For a Few Dollars More in 1965 and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly in 1966.

Headshot Of Clint Eastwood In The AFI Fest 2011

Movies

Yojimbo

A Fistful of Dollars