Later to be remade as 'A Fistful Of Dollars' this story of the Samurai-with-no-name is quite simply one of the best action/adventure films ever made. Donning his sword again, Toshiro Mifune (he was the 'crazy' one of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai) allows fate to lead him into a strange town.

Showing his prowess with the Samurai sword within minutes of arrival, the town's two rival factions are soon competing for his services, only to ultimately bring about their own mutual destruction.

Combining the frisson of film noir with the action of the Samurai epic, and a healthy black humour underlying the whole, Kurosawa'a genius for storytelling is here at its best. There is also an extraordinary score from Masaru Sato which provides a stirring counterpoint to the action.