A major comparison that can be made between Kurosawa's Yojimbo and Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the similar main characters the films revolve around. Mifune’s character in Yojimbo and Eastwood’s character in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly are both the “lone wolf” type of characters. They use their skills to help others, and throughout both films these main characters act like they’re on a certain side of the conflict but they are ultimately working for themselves. In Yojimbo, the ronin sometimes acts like he’s allied to one side but it is really so he doesn’t get himself killed. The same thing happens in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The man with no name allies himself with Tuco or Angel Eyes, depending on who will help him stay alive at that point. Their actual names aren’t revealed, which makes them more mysterious. More importantly, it takes away any connection they may have to others (such as a family name), making them truly alone.
Something I like about these two films is the fact that the filmmakers cleverly combine comedy and drama. The films are mostly dramatic, but there’s comedic moments that don’t take away from the tension at all. I think that the jokes in the most apprehensive scenes is part of what makes watching these so exciting, because it subverted my own expectation about the western genre being overly trilling with no room to breathe. One specific way The Good, the Bad and the Ugly combined drama and comedy was with the character of Tuco, who is used a lot for comedic relief throughout the film. However, I liked the scene where he is getting a pistol and trying it out because it showed how much of a threat he can be. The use of comedy in both films also made the movies seem more modern to me, especially Yojimbo which already feels dated to viewers today because it’s in black and white.
Both films depict characters who do their own thing outside the group. This is shown mostly through cinematography and the contrast presented in both films. In Yojimbo one example is the first fight where the samurai backs out from helping Seibei at the last minute. He walks over to talk to Ushitora, and the cinematography shows him in the foreground with Seibei’s men in the background. There is a clear visual separation between them, showing the samurai as more of an individual. This is continued when he goes up on a tower to watch the fight. His dark clothing stands out against the sky. It is also worth noting that the other men are always shown in groups and crowds, while the samurai is often shown completely on his own or at least visually standing out from the crowd. This idea of standing out visually is shown in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as well. There is no better way to make a character stand out visually than showing him alone in an expansive desert. A good example of this is early in the movie when Angel Eyes shows up at the house of the soldier he has been hired to kill. The first shot of him shows him on horseback in the desert. The camera is pretty far away so he is essentially a silhouette against the scenic backdrop. This cinematography strikingly sets Angel Eyes apart and is just one example of a character standing out from the others cinematically. Both films do this by creating a visual contrast.
I’m not going to lie and say I loved either of these movies. I liked them, and I can definitely see why they’re so highly regarded, but I don’t really like them as much as other films we’ve watched. I think the main issue is my inability to relate to the characters and situations presented in both films. Yes, they contain universal truths that anyone can relate to, but at the end of the day they’re men walking around killing each other during wartime and that’s something that I just can’t relate to as a teenage girl in 2019. I can't say I really feel the need to go around killing people for money like the characters in these films. I liked Yojimbo better because it had a more entertaining cast of characters, and the “bad guys” were shown in more of a funny way.
Yojimbo and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly are both films with similar styles. Both of the movies tend to spend a lot of screen time focused on the main characters, usually with a lot of closer shots which let us see the emotion on the characters. When the actions of the characters in the movies are not able to be shown with a close up, they tend to use shot types with a little more of the scene shown. The only time we get a shot thats far away are both of the battle scenes, when the protagonists are taking on the antagonist. Another part of the movie that really makes both of the movies is the how they portrayed the plot, they both are supposed to be serious movies that have undertones of comedy and the comedy really drives the movies and makes them enjoyable to watch. To me I liked both the movies, they have interesting plots that draw in your attention. The comedy portions of the movie are really funny. The editing of the movies are fast paced which i tend to enjoy because it feels like more is happening. Personally, I do not like westerns I feel like they are cheesy but The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is very enjoyable, while still being cheesy it feels a lot more well done. And of course the iconic music, I like it, I just feel like it is overused which to be fair was the purpose of the music. The cool part about the music is it changes with the characters which I like. Yojimbo, I also really like because the action scenes are really great feeling so coherent and even the action scenes are comedic, the final battle scene has a guy, explode with blood which was just comedic. Overall, I would give both movies about a 4.5/5.
In both Yojimbo and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, the narrative revolves around a group as opposed to a single main character. The audience is able to “sample” different character types (the lone wolf, the comedic effect, etc) which highlights the complex storylines that intertwine to form the final narrative. Despite the similar character structure, Kurosawa tends to use more medium shots with closed frames to depict the frenzied preparation and the desperate attempts of the farmers to defeat the bandits. Leone on the other hand focused more on closeups, depicting the characters individually as opposed to a united group. This choice highlights how the samurai work together as one unit, whereas Blondie, Tuco, and Angel Eyes only have their own interests in mind. One major similarity between the two is the use of long shots during battle/showdown scenes, most likely used to represent how the outcome is unknown, keeping the audience engaged in the film.
I liked both films, but I felt like Yojimbo was a bit slower than The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, which made it more difficult to focus on Yojimbo. I did like the character growth in Yojimbo, with the young samurai maturing during the fight and the farmer samurai learning how to work with the group. GBU did not have the same growth for any of the characters as Tuco never learns his lesson and keeps betraying Blondie, Angel Eyes dies in the showdown, and Blondie ends up with the $100,000. The stagnant characters was a bit disappointing, but not enough to ruin the movie. Overall both movies were interesting and the cinematography made it easy to stay interested in what was happening. The use of comedic effect after an extended period of seriousness kept both films from getting dull, but it was balanced enough (use of slapstick and satire) to prevent them from becoming to dependednt on comedy to keep the audiences attention.
Kurosawa’s “Yojimbo” (1961) and Leone’s “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” (1967) are both fantastic films. I enjoyed watching both of them, but I enjoyed TGTBATU a bit more. I think the largest reason I enjoyed this film more than “Yojimbo” was because of the far more relatable setting and humor. Although I never lived in the Wild West of yesteryear, and even though TGTBATU isn’t even an American film, the locations and characters are things that are iconically american. In addition, TGTBATU has the famous and iconic scoring that making it so incredible and memorable. For these reasons, TGTBATU stuck out far more for me.
I think the major similarities between these two films is in the way the main character fits into the narrative. In both films, the main character is seen as a bit of a loner- a powerful figure, but much prefers to walk the lone path. Congruous with this idea of remaining impartial, both main characters never reveal their actual name. In addition, they act solely for the benefit of themselves. No matter their actions, they do as they can just so they can profit and survive. Furthermore, both films have intense fight sequences with open framing and longer shots, contrasting to the more medium and close up shots that make up the majority of both of the films.
When viewing the films "Yojimbo and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly", it is easy to make comparisons. Both films feature a highly skilled yet quiet protagonist. He travels alone, and is both careless in how he manages to get himself into dangerous situations, as well as skilled in how he manages to get himself out of them. "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" is clearly a western, however when watching "Yojimo", one can see how it features many influences of the western genre. In both films, many characters are show from low angles. In addition to this there are quite a few close up shots. These are classic staples of the western genre. The implicit themes of both movies are similar, in how they deal with the fight fir justice against the forces of corruption and greed in a lawless world.
If I had to choose, I would say that I enjoyed "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" over "Yojimbo". I say this because of the scope of the respective films. In "Yojimbo", the action all takes place within a small town and the surrounding area. As a result, the film produces somewhat of a claustrophobic tone. While I am fully aware that is effect was intentional, I still feel that it cannot compare, at least in my mind, with the large epic scale of the American West throughout which "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" takes place.
Yojimbo and The good, The Bad, and The Ugly both share extremely similar characters, as Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy” was very heavily influenced by Kurosawa’s work with Yojimbo, even to the point of Kurosawa claiming plagiarism. Clint Eastwood’s “Blondie” (or the Man with No Name) and Toshiro Mifune’s “Sanjuro Kuwabatake” (translated to “Thirty Mulberry Field”) are both characters without clear names or other identification and enter new towns while showcasing impressive combat skills. Similar plots involving the untrustworthiness of criminals and dealing with them arise in both films, and similar framing such as eye level shots when showing characters sizing each other up before a fight.
I personally enjoyed both films very much, as the characters are inviting and the plots and conflict are intriguing to witness. Clint Eastwood’s and Lee Van Graff’s performances were exceptional, and the plot of finding treasure in both films was thrilling.
A major comparison that can be made between Kurosawa's Yojimbo and Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the similar main characters the films revolve around. Mifune’s character in Yojimbo and Eastwood’s character in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly are both the “lone wolf” type of characters. They use their skills to help others, and throughout both films these main characters act like they’re on a certain side of the conflict but they are ultimately working for themselves. In Yojimbo, the ronin sometimes acts like he’s allied to one side but it is really so he doesn’t get himself killed. The same thing happens in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The man with no name allies himself with Tuco or Angel Eyes, depending on who will help him stay alive at that point. Their actual names aren’t revealed, which makes them more mysterious. More importantly, it takes away any connection they may have to others (such as a family name), making them truly alone.
ReplyDeleteSomething I like about these two films is the fact that the filmmakers cleverly combine comedy and drama. The films are mostly dramatic, but there’s comedic moments that don’t take away from the tension at all. I think that the jokes in the most apprehensive scenes is part of what makes watching these so exciting, because it subverted my own expectation about the western genre being overly trilling with no room to breathe. One specific way The Good, the Bad and the Ugly combined drama and comedy was with the character of Tuco, who is used a lot for comedic relief throughout the film. However, I liked the scene where he is getting a pistol and trying it out because it showed how much of a threat he can be. The use of comedy in both films also made the movies seem more modern to me, especially Yojimbo which already feels dated to viewers today because it’s in black and white.
Both films depict characters who do their own thing outside the group. This is shown mostly through cinematography and the contrast presented in both films. In Yojimbo one example is the first fight where the samurai backs out from helping Seibei at the last minute. He walks over to talk to Ushitora, and the cinematography shows him in the foreground with Seibei’s men in the background. There is a clear visual separation between them, showing the samurai as more of an individual. This is continued when he goes up on a tower to watch the fight. His dark clothing stands out against the sky. It is also worth noting that the other men are always shown in groups and crowds, while the samurai is often shown completely on his own or at least visually standing out from the crowd. This idea of standing out visually is shown in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as well. There is no better way to make a character stand out visually than showing him alone in an expansive desert. A good example of this is early in the movie when Angel Eyes shows up at the house of the soldier he has been hired to kill. The first shot of him shows him on horseback in the desert. The camera is pretty far away so he is essentially a silhouette against the scenic backdrop. This cinematography strikingly sets Angel Eyes apart and is just one example of a character standing out from the others cinematically. Both films do this by creating a visual contrast.
ReplyDeleteI’m not going to lie and say I loved either of these movies. I liked them, and I can definitely see why they’re so highly regarded, but I don’t really like them as much as other films we’ve watched. I think the main issue is my inability to relate to the characters and situations presented in both films. Yes, they contain universal truths that anyone can relate to, but at the end of the day they’re men walking around killing each other during wartime and that’s something that I just can’t relate to as a teenage girl in 2019. I can't say I really feel the need to go around killing people for money like the characters in these films. I liked Yojimbo better because it had a more entertaining cast of characters, and the “bad guys” were shown in more of a funny way.
Yojimbo and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly are both films with similar styles. Both of the movies tend to spend a lot of screen time focused on the main characters, usually with a lot of closer shots which let us see the emotion on the characters. When the actions of the characters in the movies are not able to be shown with a close up, they tend to use shot types with a little more of the scene shown. The only time we get a shot thats far away are both of the battle scenes, when the protagonists are taking on the antagonist. Another part of the movie that really makes both of the movies is the how they portrayed the plot, they both are supposed to be serious movies that have undertones of comedy and the comedy really drives the movies and makes them enjoyable to watch.
ReplyDeleteTo me I liked both the movies, they have interesting plots that draw in your attention. The comedy portions of the movie are really funny. The editing of the movies are fast paced which i tend to enjoy because it feels like more is happening. Personally, I do not like westerns I feel like they are cheesy but The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is very enjoyable, while still being cheesy it feels a lot more well done. And of course the iconic music, I like it, I just feel like it is overused which to be fair was the purpose of the music. The cool part about the music is it changes with the characters which I like. Yojimbo, I also really like because the action scenes are really great feeling so coherent and even the action scenes are comedic, the final battle scene has a guy, explode with blood which was just comedic. Overall, I would give both movies about a 4.5/5.
In both Yojimbo and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, the narrative revolves around a group as opposed to a single main character. The audience is able to “sample” different character types (the lone wolf, the comedic effect, etc) which highlights the complex storylines that intertwine to form the final narrative. Despite the similar character structure, Kurosawa tends to use more medium shots with closed frames to depict the frenzied preparation and the desperate attempts of the farmers to defeat the bandits. Leone on the other hand focused more on closeups, depicting the characters individually as opposed to a united group. This choice highlights how the samurai work together as one unit, whereas Blondie, Tuco, and Angel Eyes only have their own interests in mind. One major similarity between the two is the use of long shots during battle/showdown scenes, most likely used to represent how the outcome is unknown, keeping the audience engaged in the film.
ReplyDeleteI liked both films, but I felt like Yojimbo was a bit slower than The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, which made it more difficult to focus on Yojimbo. I did like the character growth in Yojimbo, with the young samurai maturing during the fight and the farmer samurai learning how to work with the group. GBU did not have the same growth for any of the characters as Tuco never learns his lesson and keeps betraying Blondie, Angel Eyes dies in the showdown, and Blondie ends up with the $100,000. The stagnant characters was a bit disappointing, but not enough to ruin the movie. Overall both movies were interesting and the cinematography made it easy to stay interested in what was happening. The use of comedic effect after an extended period of seriousness kept both films from getting dull, but it was balanced enough (use of slapstick and satire) to prevent them from becoming to dependednt on comedy to keep the audiences attention.
Kurosawa’s “Yojimbo” (1961) and Leone’s “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” (1967) are both fantastic films. I enjoyed watching both of them, but I enjoyed TGTBATU a bit more. I think the largest reason I enjoyed this film more than “Yojimbo” was because of the far more relatable setting and humor. Although I never lived in the Wild West of yesteryear, and even though TGTBATU isn’t even an American film, the locations and characters are things that are iconically american. In addition, TGTBATU has the famous and iconic scoring that making it so incredible and memorable. For these reasons, TGTBATU stuck out far more for me.
ReplyDeleteI think the major similarities between these two films is in the way the main character fits into the narrative. In both films, the main character is seen as a bit of a loner- a powerful figure, but much prefers to walk the lone path. Congruous with this idea of remaining impartial, both main characters never reveal their actual name. In addition, they act solely for the benefit of themselves. No matter their actions, they do as they can just so they can profit and survive. Furthermore, both films have intense fight sequences with open framing and longer shots, contrasting to the more medium and close up shots that make up the majority of both of the films.
When viewing the films "Yojimbo and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly", it is easy to make comparisons. Both films feature a highly skilled yet quiet protagonist. He travels alone, and is both careless in how he manages to get himself into dangerous situations, as well as skilled in how he manages to get himself out of them. "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" is clearly a western, however when watching "Yojimo", one can see how it features many influences of the western genre. In both films, many characters are show from low angles. In addition to this there are quite a few close up shots. These are classic staples of the western genre. The implicit themes of both movies are similar, in how they deal with the fight fir justice against the forces of corruption and greed in a lawless world.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to choose, I would say that I enjoyed "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" over "Yojimbo". I say this because of the scope of the respective films. In "Yojimbo", the action all takes place within a small town and the surrounding area. As a result, the film produces somewhat of a claustrophobic tone. While I am fully aware that is effect was intentional, I still feel that it cannot compare, at least in my mind, with the large epic scale of the American West throughout which "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" takes place.
Yojimbo and The good, The Bad, and The Ugly both share extremely similar characters, as Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy” was very heavily influenced by Kurosawa’s work with Yojimbo, even to the point of Kurosawa claiming plagiarism. Clint Eastwood’s “Blondie” (or the Man with No Name) and Toshiro Mifune’s “Sanjuro Kuwabatake” (translated to “Thirty Mulberry Field”) are both characters without clear names or other identification and enter new towns while showcasing impressive combat skills. Similar plots involving the untrustworthiness of criminals and dealing with them arise in both films, and similar framing such as eye level shots when showing characters sizing each other up before a fight.
ReplyDeleteI personally enjoyed both films very much, as the characters are inviting and the plots and conflict are intriguing to witness. Clint Eastwood’s and Lee Van Graff’s performances were exceptional, and the plot of finding treasure in both films was thrilling.
-Jackson Harding
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