Yojimbo / Sanjuro: Two Samurai Films by Akira Kurosawa - The Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

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 Sanjuro, who slyly manipulates two warring clans to his own advantage in a small, dusty village, 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 matches Yojimbo’s storytelling dexterity yet adds a layer of world-weary pragmatism that brings the two films to a thrilling and unforgettable conclusion.

Special Features

• 4K digital restorations, presented in the aspect ratio of 2.39:1, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks (4K UHD); restored high-definition digital transfers, presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks (Blu-ray)
• In the 4K UHD edition: Two 4K UHD discs of the films and two Blu-rays with the films and special features
• Optional DTS-HD Master Audio Perspecta 3.0 soundtracks, preserving the original simulated stereo effects
• Audio commentaries by Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince
• Documentaries on the making of Yojimbo and Sanjuro, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
• Teasers and trailers
• Stills galleries of behind-the-scenes photos
• PLUS: Essays by film writers Alexander Sesonske and Michael Sragow and comments from Kurosawa and members of his casts and crews
  
  Covers by Lucien S. Y. Yang