Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2011 July 20

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July 20

Questions about Yojimbo

I'm a fan of Yojimbo and I've seen the movie a number of times, but there are a couple things I haven't been able to make sense of, possibly because I'm not that familiar with Japanese culture. These are rather specific questions, so bear with me. Any insight is appreciated.

There's a scene where the nameless ronin and the tavern keeper watch the visiting inspector and his men across the street as they're attended to (by the town's constable, I think.) The ronin comments that they are drinking spiked tea. How would he know the tea is spiked, and why does he think this is so amusing? Is he implying that the inspector doesn't know the tea is spiked?

Shortly thereafter the constable brings in three smallish white objects and sets one by the inspector and each of his men. The inspector appears to steal the one set next to him. What are the white objects?

Also, Seibei refers to the ronin as 'master', according to the subtitles I'm reading. Is this a literal translation? Is it some specific title that's being used? (e • nn • en!) 11:02, 20 July 2011 (UTC)

Re: your third question, possibly senpai, but I haven't seen it in a while. Recury (talk) 19:05, 20 July 2011 (UTC)

It's a long time since I saw Yojimbo. How smallish? Could the white objects be bundles of coins (in paper wrappers)? —Tamfang (talk) 08:21, 15 November 2011 (UTC)

Re: He says the tea is spiked because criminals like them wouldn't drink tea, and what amuses him is the fact that they pretend to be decent people by drinking tea. The small white objects are bribes. And the Master in the subtitles is correct, Seibei calls the samurai Sensei, as a matter of respect, Sanjuro is skilled and was a proper Samurai (now a Ronin) he is trained with a sword which none of the other bandits are, so to him Sanjuro is a Master Swordsman, and if you watch the movie again you'll see that Seibei also calls the other samurai Sensei, the one that runs away. ---Bayomycry (talk) 01:33, 23 July 2020 (UTC)

speaking of Kurosawa

I'm watching The Bad Sleep Well, in which Toshirō Mifune and Takashi Shimura are antagonists; I'm wondering how often that happened. IMDB lists 54 times they worked together, of which I remember only Stray Dog and of course Seven Samurai, in both of which they were (more or less) novice and mentor, and Rashōmon, in which they're neither comrades nor antagonists. —Tamfang (talk) 18:32, 20 July 2011 (UTC)

And what's the tune that Nishi (Mifune) keeps whistling? —Tamfang (talk) 07:47, 21 July 2011 (UTC)

According to this page, en translation is here, the tune was composed by Masaru Satō. The title is just Nishi's whistle 1 and Nishi's whistle 2. Oda Mari (talk) 08:35, 21 July 2011 (UTC)