seems like a typical western with Mifune tacked on

Delon seems like a weasel from the beginning of the film and did some unnecessary killings during the robbery so why am I supposed to root for Bronson who was his accomplice? He didn't care about others until he got betrayed and lost his money.

I know what you're saying -- and I felt the same way, at first -- but it's a story of redemption. Yes, Link (Bronson) is obviously a greedy criminal at the beginning, but he's otherwise likable and seems to have some kind of sense of honor, which is palpably contrasted by Gauche (Delon) who's decidedly evil from the get-go, as you point out.

Link's association with Kuroda (Mifune) slowly affects him to the point that he's no longer a lucre-obsessed scumbag by the climax: Disarmed by Link, Gauche tries appealing to Link's greed, but Link decides that the dying samurai's honor is more important to him than learning the all-important location of the stolen money, so he executes Gauche. Just before Kuroda expires, Link promises him that he will return the priceless katana to the Japanese ambassador, thus preserving Kuroda's honor. Give him some credit: He coulda made a small fortune off the sword (which would've made up for the loss of the stolen loot), but he gave it back to the proper owner instead, which testifies to a vastly changed man.


My 150 (or so) favorite movies:
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070122364/

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You’re not a warlock, Adam. Don’t even try to fuck with Numerlogy.

Also, you should stay away from Ouija boards.

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