“Kill one or a hundred... you only hang once”
A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and sake merchant Tokuemon to hire him as a personal bodyguard, then artfully sets in motion a full-scale gang war between the two ambitious and unscrupulous men.
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Part of Sanjuro Collection
2 films
Cast
51 people
Toshirō Mifune
Sanjuro Kuwabatake / The Samurai
Known for
Seven Samurai
Rashomon
Tatsuya Nakadai
Unosuke, gunfighter
Known for
Ran
Harakiri
Yōko Tsukasa
Nui
Known for
Samurai Rebellion
Late Autumn
Isuzu Yamada
Orin
Known for
Throne of Blood
Sisters of the Gion
Daisuke Katō
Inokichi
Known for
Seven Samurai
Rashomon
Seizaburō Kawazu
Seibê - brothel operator
Known for
New Tale of Zatoichi
A Geisha
Takashi Shimura
Tokuemon, sake brewer
Known for
Seven Samurai
Ikiru
Hiroshi Tachikawa
Yoichiro
Known for
Throne of Blood
Matango
Yōsuke Natsuki
Kohei's Son
Known for
Shōgun
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
Eijirō Tōno
Gonji, Tavern Keeper
Known for
Seven Samurai
Tokyo Story
Kamatari Fujiwara
Tazaemon
Known for
Seven Samurai
The Hidden Fortress
Ikio Sawamura
Hansuke
Known for
All Monsters Attack
King Kong Escapes
Akira Kurosawa Director · Ryuzo Kikushima Screenplay Masaru Satō Composer
United States release September 13, 1961 · Produced in Japan · Original title 用心棒
Production
TOHO
Production
Japan
Produced in
Languages
Original title
用心棒
Original language
Japanese
Spoken on screen
Japanese
Release dates
France · April 25, 1961
Premiere
Japan · April 25, 1961
Theatrical
United States · September 13, 1961
Theatrical
United States · January 1, 1999
Physical · VHS
Australia
January 1, 2000 · Physical · DVD
October 26, 2024 · Limited theatrical · Re-Release
Brazil
May 9, 1963 · Theatrical · IMDB
Czechia
April 20, 2006 · Physical · DVD
December 7, 2008 · TV · ČT2
Denmark
March 29, 1965 · Theatrical
Finland
March 15, 1963 · Theatrical
France
September 12, 1979 · Theatrical
January 25, 2017 · Physical
Germany
May 21, 1982 · Theatrical
Italy
August 20, 1961 · Premiere · Venice Film Festival
June 28, 1963 · Theatrical
Mexico
May 9, 1963 · Theatrical
Netherlands
January 13, 1983 · Theatrical · Re-release
September 7, 2004 · Physical · DVD
June 26, 2025 · Theatrical · 4k restored
June 26, 2025 · Digital · Eye Film Player
South Korea
April 16, 2004 · Theatrical
Spain
May 16, 2001 · Physical
Sweden
October 28, 1964 · Theatrical
United Kingdom
November 9, 1967 · Theatrical
March 17, 2025 · Physical · Blu-ray & 4K UHD
More from Akira Kurosawa
Other films they directed, best known first.
Some details come from TheTVDB.