These are Samurais 6 and 7: Toshiro Mifune as Kikuchiyo, with his false pedigree, and Seiji Migaguchi as Kyuzo, the wicked cool one who looks like Buster Keaton. Mifune gives a performance as a classic trickster figure, almost demonic, at the same time he appears to be an everyman, a lost soul in a world which doesn't make a lot of sense - a ferocious performance, both in its humor and its tragedy.Edit: Fresca's comment has reminded me that this film explores the theme of loyalty in a genuinely curious way, as does The Third Man, and is like that film one of the greatest films of the twentieth century.

