nope. sorry.
I’m trying to remember where exactly in the film this gesture takes place. I don’t see why the silk merchant’s wife would perform a good luck gesture towards Sanjuro considering she aims to betray him near the beginning of the film …
maybe it’s a bad luck curse. :D
The scene is in fact just before Yojimbo casts merchant and wife’s money at their feet, and declares he won’t fight for them because he overheard them plotting against him. The wife would wish him luck because she wants him to slaughter their enemies before she has him murdered.
Anyway, it’s just a trivial detail I noticed watching Yojimbo a second time. In her right hand is a short stick, in the other an oblong I can’t discern.
Oh well.
This would be a question to ask a person of Japanese upbringing or who has a better knowledge of customs.
You are correct, she is striking a flint.
It’s an old Japanese custom for good luck.
The fire is supposed to chase away evil spirits.
Singing Mason
Before the first aborted clash between gangs, as the silk merchant’s men are assembling outside, the silk merchant’s wife performs a gesture like striking a flint, first in front of Mifune and then in front of another fighter. It is evidently some kind of good luck ritual, but I can’t make out the two objects in her hands, and I haven’t seen this in any other samurai movies. Does anybody know what she’s doing in that scene?