The first samurai: How a Japanese actor created the 'macho' role model

Toshiro Mifune's portrayal in 'Yojimbo' inspired American spaghetti westerns

PETER TASKER

Sixty years ago this month, one of my favorite films hit the cinema screens for the first time. "Yojimbo," directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring the inimitable Toshiro Mifune, was an instant success in Japan and was to become hugely influential worldwide.

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