Some Observations On The Immortality Of Yojimbo

It's pretty well agreed upon that Yojimbo is based, however loosely, on Dashiell Hammet's novel Red Harvest whose main character is simply called "The Continental Op", but most other references in film seem to be more derivative of Yojimbo or Fistful of Dollars. Yes, I know you knew all that. I'm just formalizing my observations.

Yojimbo/Sanjuro

In Yojimbo and its sequel, Sanjuro, the main character gives his name as "Sanjuro"(Japanese for "thirty-year-old guy") and whatever he happens to see when he looks out the window. 

Dollars Trilogy

The hero in Fistful of Dollars is referred to as "The Stranger" and called "Joe" by the undertaker. Then in For A Few Dollars More, he was called Manco(Italian for "one-armed" since he used his left hand for everything to keep his gun hand always available for quick-drawing). Then in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, he's called "Blondie". He wore a poncho, perhaps to emulate the way Sanjuro would keep his arms hidden in his kimono.

Last Man Standing

The main character's name is given as "John  Smith" which seems to be clearly pulled out of his ass in order to avoid actually giving his name. It pretty obviously follows the same story, although the story bears more resemblance to Yojimbo than Fistful of Dollars(maybe).

They Live

Like in Yojimbo, the main character is a rugged drifter who just wandered into a new town looking for work and ends up killing a bunch of people(or aliens, anyway). He's never referred to by name in the movie but in the novel on which the film is based, the character's name is George Nada("nothing" in Spanish, possibly meant to be another name-dodge) and is credited in the film as simply "Nada". They Live also features a scene of the main character getting his ass beaten and then subsequently going into hiding as do Yojimbo, Fistful of Dollars, and Last Man Standing.

Kaze No Yojimbo

An anime series based directly on Yojimbo but set in modern day. The main character isn't nameless, but he is called "George Kodama" which could possibly be a reference to George Nada, and Kodama in Japanese means "echo". Maybe it's supposed to mean he's another "echo" of the Continental Op character.

Kill!

This Kihachi Okamoto film is actually based on the short story "Peaceful Days" as was Akira Kurosawa's "Sanjuro", the sequel to "Yojimbo". Although it does have many similarities to the Yojimbo story such as the cool wandering vagrant coming into town and manipulating the local gangsters and also features a scene of the main character getting his ass beat. Kill! also has many similarities with Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai", but that's another story.

Just some things I was noticing one day and decided to write it all down. It's interesting how this one story keeps getting retold over and over as though it has some kind of significance in and of itself. Although, I can't imagine why that would be. I can't tell you enough how bored I am with all the damn movie remakes and reboots and nostalgia going on today, but I think there is a time and a place for That sort of thing. This is one that I hope gets remade or at least referenced again. I don't know what's so special about this particulary story. Maybe nothing. But I think if there ever comes a time that it stops popping up this way, I will take that to mean that film is dead.