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Seven samurai: A film;
"Would you be willing to do what is right, regardless of the consequences? To see good triumph over evil and use your strength and heroism to protect the lives of others? Maybe you have what it takes to be a Samurai." "Enjoyed the film? Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with the ultimate film guides and get the bigger picture." "Discover how Akira Kurosawa's movie career began with a competition win and developed into one of the most highly respected Japanese directors." "Understand how the sheer range of cinematography helped endorse the status of the film into an all time classic." "Consider the importance of the film at the time of its release and the changes it instigated within film making. Understand the influence the film and director had on other movie makers and what relationship Seven Samurai has with the classic western, The Magnificant Seven." What is the final image of the film and what is its symbolic significance? How did Toshiro Mifune and Kurosawa meet and what influence did they have on each others work? Satisfy your curiosity with the ultimate film guides. Read biographies of key players, critics reviews and finally see the film the director wanted you to see.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1970
67 people want to read
About the author
Akira Kurosawa
61 books231 followers
Rashomon
(1950),
The Seven Samurai
(1954), and
Ran
(1985), set in feudal Japan of director Akira Kurosawa, greatly influenced American and European filmmaking.
This producer, screenwriter, and editor, regarded of the most important and influential in the history of cinema, directed thirty in a career, spanning 57 years.
Following a brief stint as a painter, Kurosawa entered the industry in 1936. After years of working as an assistant and scriptwriter, he made his debut in 1943 during World War II with the popular action film Sanshiro Sugata, also known as Judo Saga. After the war, the critically acclaimed Drunken Angel (1948), in which Kurosawa cast then-unknown actor Toshirō Mifune in a starring role, cemented the reputation of the most important young filmmakers in Japan. The two men went to collaborate on another 15 films.
Rashomon, which premiered in Tokyo in August 1950, and which also starred Mifune, on 10 September 1951 surprisingly won the golden lion at the Venice film festival and was subsequently released in Europe and North America. The commercial and critical success opened up western markets for the first time to the products of the industry, which in turn led to international recognition for other artists. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, Kurosawa included a number of highly regarded films, such as Ikiru (1952) and Yojimbo (1961). After the mid-1960s, his much less prolific later work, including his penultimate epic, Kagemusha (1980), continued to win awards, including the Palme d'Or, more often abroad.
In 1990, he accepted the academy award for lifetime achievement. Posthumously, AsianWeek magazine and Cable News Network named him "Asian of the century" in the "arts, literature, and culture" category and cited him as "one of the [five] people who contributed most to the betterment of Asia in the past 100 years."
This producer, screenwriter, and editor, regarded of the most important and influential in the history of cinema, directed thirty in a career, spanning 57 years.
Following a brief stint as a painter, Kurosawa entered the industry in 1936. After years of working as an assistant and scriptwriter, he made his debut in 1943 during World War II with the popular action film Sanshiro Sugata, also known as Judo Saga. After the war, the critically acclaimed Drunken Angel (1948), in which Kurosawa cast then-unknown actor Toshirō Mifune in a starring role, cemented the reputation of the most important young filmmakers in Japan. The two men went to collaborate on another 15 films.
Rashomon, which premiered in Tokyo in August 1950, and which also starred Mifune, on 10 September 1951 surprisingly won the golden lion at the Venice film festival and was subsequently released in Europe and North America. The commercial and critical success opened up western markets for the first time to the products of the industry, which in turn led to international recognition for other artists. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, Kurosawa included a number of highly regarded films, such as Ikiru (1952) and Yojimbo (1961). After the mid-1960s, his much less prolific later work, including his penultimate epic, Kagemusha (1980), continued to win awards, including the Palme d'Or, more often abroad.
In 1990, he accepted the academy award for lifetime achievement. Posthumously, AsianWeek magazine and Cable News Network named him "Asian of the century" in the "arts, literature, and culture" category and cited him as "one of the [five] people who contributed most to the betterment of Asia in the past 100 years."
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 26, 2018
''What's the use of worrying about your beard when your head's about to be taken?''
A poor village under attack by bandits recruit seven unemployed samurai to help them defend against the foes.
Takashi Shimura: Kambei Shimada
Toshirô Mifune: Kikuchiyo
(A review of the film and story...)
Akira Kurosawa had recently, and very quickly, become one of my all-time favourite directors. I had only seen four of his films and given each and every one of them my highest rating and approval. His greatest, and undoubtedly his most popular film was in 1954 epic Shichinin no samurai. The top-selling movie out of Japan for the year and won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Picture. Present day, it is ranked one of the greatest motion pictures ever, and it rightfully holds this honour still.
This is a spectacular story; as well as film. Full of wonderful characters, envisioned scenery, and great performances all around; it is Kurosawa's fantastic story about a poor farming village in 16th century Japan being consistently placed under attack by marauding bandits. Facing starvation if the bandits raid them again, the peasants fearfully and reluctantly turn to seven unemployed samurai to defend themselves.
There is no weak foundation to Seven Samurai. One of its greatest aspects is its characters. Every single one of them, farmer or samurai, is given tremendous development, making them all memorable. This is one of those films where if a character is eliminated, you suddenly find yourself missing their presence on the film; because you got to know them so well. I will not name him, but there was one ill-fated character in the film when, after he died, I felt kind of cheerless because I had come to respect him as a human being instead of an actor performing in front of a camera and reading out scripted dialogue. If you were to ask me which character was my favorite, I would be tied between two of them. The characters played by Takashi Shimura and Toshiro Mifune, two of the finest Japanese actors who ever breathed air.
Another thing I admire in Shichinin no samurai is the feeling of authenticity. The feeling that it all scenes could really have occurred. There are very few moments where the unbelievable happens, as most action movies tend to drift towards. One thing I admired was the antagonists of the film: the bandits. Unlike most Hollywood movies where the bad guys have names and are introduced as characters to make them effective, the bandits in Seven Samurai all have no names. We only know them as the bandits and that is appropriate because that's all the main characters know them as too. Just marauding, murdering bandits who must be defeated as soon as possible.
Kurosawa was undoubtedly one of the most influential directors of all time and that is clear in this film. Many of the transitions and techniques that motion pictures today seem to follow on a conventional level were inspired by this film: slow-motion, a fade wipe between scenes like what you see in the Star Wars movies; using the weather to affect emotion and atmosphere, a team forming to take on a larger enemy, the list goes on. The movie was so influential that it was remade in the United States as The Magnificent Seven(1960). Not as good as its original source; not by a long shot; but considerably effective and noteworthy.
In regards to the film's soundtrack, it's a success. The music was composed by Fumio Hayasaka and it's simply wonderous. We seldom hear any of it; when we do, its an efficacious presence of impact. The opening score is very effective and the music that plays when the farmers are searching for samurai in the town remains one of my favourite soundtrack pieces today; it penetrates your soul.
There is one thing in the film that might ward off some viewers. It is long. At over three and a half hours in length, some people will be cautious before sitting down to view it and some will lose their patience; but to those who can sit down and enjoy a film no matter how long it lasts, it will be realized as fast-moving storytelling. Even the long takes and the slow pacing seems surrealist fast because it is so well-written and so masterfully directed by Kurosawa.
Akiro Kurosawa gives us one of the greatest masterpieces of all time.
''The farmers have won. We have lost.''
A poor village under attack by bandits recruit seven unemployed samurai to help them defend against the foes.
Takashi Shimura: Kambei Shimada
Toshirô Mifune: Kikuchiyo
(A review of the film and story...)
Akira Kurosawa had recently, and very quickly, become one of my all-time favourite directors. I had only seen four of his films and given each and every one of them my highest rating and approval. His greatest, and undoubtedly his most popular film was in 1954 epic Shichinin no samurai. The top-selling movie out of Japan for the year and won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Picture. Present day, it is ranked one of the greatest motion pictures ever, and it rightfully holds this honour still.
This is a spectacular story; as well as film. Full of wonderful characters, envisioned scenery, and great performances all around; it is Kurosawa's fantastic story about a poor farming village in 16th century Japan being consistently placed under attack by marauding bandits. Facing starvation if the bandits raid them again, the peasants fearfully and reluctantly turn to seven unemployed samurai to defend themselves.
There is no weak foundation to Seven Samurai. One of its greatest aspects is its characters. Every single one of them, farmer or samurai, is given tremendous development, making them all memorable. This is one of those films where if a character is eliminated, you suddenly find yourself missing their presence on the film; because you got to know them so well. I will not name him, but there was one ill-fated character in the film when, after he died, I felt kind of cheerless because I had come to respect him as a human being instead of an actor performing in front of a camera and reading out scripted dialogue. If you were to ask me which character was my favorite, I would be tied between two of them. The characters played by Takashi Shimura and Toshiro Mifune, two of the finest Japanese actors who ever breathed air.
Another thing I admire in Shichinin no samurai is the feeling of authenticity. The feeling that it all scenes could really have occurred. There are very few moments where the unbelievable happens, as most action movies tend to drift towards. One thing I admired was the antagonists of the film: the bandits. Unlike most Hollywood movies where the bad guys have names and are introduced as characters to make them effective, the bandits in Seven Samurai all have no names. We only know them as the bandits and that is appropriate because that's all the main characters know them as too. Just marauding, murdering bandits who must be defeated as soon as possible.
Kurosawa was undoubtedly one of the most influential directors of all time and that is clear in this film. Many of the transitions and techniques that motion pictures today seem to follow on a conventional level were inspired by this film: slow-motion, a fade wipe between scenes like what you see in the Star Wars movies; using the weather to affect emotion and atmosphere, a team forming to take on a larger enemy, the list goes on. The movie was so influential that it was remade in the United States as The Magnificent Seven(1960). Not as good as its original source; not by a long shot; but considerably effective and noteworthy.
In regards to the film's soundtrack, it's a success. The music was composed by Fumio Hayasaka and it's simply wonderous. We seldom hear any of it; when we do, its an efficacious presence of impact. The opening score is very effective and the music that plays when the farmers are searching for samurai in the town remains one of my favourite soundtrack pieces today; it penetrates your soul.
There is one thing in the film that might ward off some viewers. It is long. At over three and a half hours in length, some people will be cautious before sitting down to view it and some will lose their patience; but to those who can sit down and enjoy a film no matter how long it lasts, it will be realized as fast-moving storytelling. Even the long takes and the slow pacing seems surrealist fast because it is so well-written and so masterfully directed by Kurosawa.
Akiro Kurosawa gives us one of the greatest masterpieces of all time.
''The farmers have won. We have lost.''
November 16, 2025
Seven Samurai, written and directed by Akira Kurosawa
Nine out of 10
One of the most magnificent motion pictures of all time, Seven Samurai is nevertheless unfamiliar to audiences that know about The Magnificent Seven, which is actually a good adaptation of the Akira Kurosawa classic that has been included on
The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list
Seven Samurai presents an unforgettable story of valor, sacrifice, humanity, kindness, love, but also hatred, cowardice, villainy and oppression.
The people in a village in medieval Japan are constantly under attack and find they are unable to cope with the marauders that come constantly to take away their livelihood, the crops they grow in the fields, for which they toil and work hard are gone about as soon as they are harvested, for the monstrous invaders know when they can come to collect one crop and then take a break, long enough to arrive in time for their next prize.
The peasants are good at their daily work, but they lack the skills to oppose those who are professional fighters and have the means to kill not just simple people…we would discover that they have three muskets in their panoply and thus can dispatch enemies from a distance.
Advised by the wise elder, the villagers consider hiring some samurai to help them face the plague of the constant robbery, but they lack the means to pay, except for some food, and this would be an obstacle they would have to surmount.
Eventually, they get the crucial support of Kambei Shimada, who would be the leader, mastermind of the defense, the one who would say where the fence needs to be raised, that three houses would have to abandoned, for the good of the community, because they are situated outside the line that they could protect reasonably.
Kambei Shimada would also be the one who would talk with other potential candidates for this Dream Team of Avengers – since this has recently become the new holder of the box office record, such a popular feature, albeit not with the undersigned.
Nonetheless, when told that they would have to fight for food and pay would be practically nonexistent, most samurai pass on this opportunity, even if it would be a sensitive, heavy moment when within the circle of the Seven Samurai they discuss the fact that they get good, white rice, whereas the poor peasants are forced into what looks like malnutrition.
The locals are very worried about the situation of their daughters and wives, who could become the target of these alien men, samurai used with having it their own way and superior in status in medieval Japanese society to ordinary folk.
Indeed, even today, modern Japan is a place of paradoxes, with many aspects of daily life apparently descended from the future, while other issues seem to be still part of the distant past – the justice system appears quite unfair – the case of Carlos Ghosn has thrown some light on that – people with a handicap do not enjoy the rights and benefits they have elsewhere – according to an article in the most recent issue of The Economist.
When six of the Seven Samurai are gathered, they have a maverick joining forces with them, or at least trying to be part of the group to begin with, the outsider, outré Kikuchiyo aka the most famous Japanese actor of the period – the film was released in 1954, in black and white.
The confrontation would be difficult, for even with the group of Seven Expert fighters that is now in charge of the defense of the village, they are still outnumbered and they face a better-equipped enemy that is sending three spies to study the terrain.
These first reconnaissance men are found and killed, but the battle would cause many victims among the peasants, albeit the strategy devised by the formidable Kambei Shimada is to allow individuals from the attacking group to penetrate the fence and then isolate and kill them.
One samurai falls in love with a young woman, but her father is viciously opposed to the idea and the discovery of the secret relationship – the two lovers met furtively – causes a scandal.
Finally, Kambei Shimada talks about the fact that it is the villagers who are the ultimate heroes, it is their fight and if it is a victory – let us not get into that – they would deserve all the glory.
The Seven Samurai is part of the history of cinema, to be found in the pages of glory.
Posted 5th August 2019 by realini
Nine out of 10
One of the most magnificent motion pictures of all time, Seven Samurai is nevertheless unfamiliar to audiences that know about The Magnificent Seven, which is actually a good adaptation of the Akira Kurosawa classic that has been included on
The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list
Seven Samurai presents an unforgettable story of valor, sacrifice, humanity, kindness, love, but also hatred, cowardice, villainy and oppression.
The people in a village in medieval Japan are constantly under attack and find they are unable to cope with the marauders that come constantly to take away their livelihood, the crops they grow in the fields, for which they toil and work hard are gone about as soon as they are harvested, for the monstrous invaders know when they can come to collect one crop and then take a break, long enough to arrive in time for their next prize.
The peasants are good at their daily work, but they lack the skills to oppose those who are professional fighters and have the means to kill not just simple people…we would discover that they have three muskets in their panoply and thus can dispatch enemies from a distance.
Advised by the wise elder, the villagers consider hiring some samurai to help them face the plague of the constant robbery, but they lack the means to pay, except for some food, and this would be an obstacle they would have to surmount.
Eventually, they get the crucial support of Kambei Shimada, who would be the leader, mastermind of the defense, the one who would say where the fence needs to be raised, that three houses would have to abandoned, for the good of the community, because they are situated outside the line that they could protect reasonably.
Kambei Shimada would also be the one who would talk with other potential candidates for this Dream Team of Avengers – since this has recently become the new holder of the box office record, such a popular feature, albeit not with the undersigned.
Nonetheless, when told that they would have to fight for food and pay would be practically nonexistent, most samurai pass on this opportunity, even if it would be a sensitive, heavy moment when within the circle of the Seven Samurai they discuss the fact that they get good, white rice, whereas the poor peasants are forced into what looks like malnutrition.
The locals are very worried about the situation of their daughters and wives, who could become the target of these alien men, samurai used with having it their own way and superior in status in medieval Japanese society to ordinary folk.
Indeed, even today, modern Japan is a place of paradoxes, with many aspects of daily life apparently descended from the future, while other issues seem to be still part of the distant past – the justice system appears quite unfair – the case of Carlos Ghosn has thrown some light on that – people with a handicap do not enjoy the rights and benefits they have elsewhere – according to an article in the most recent issue of The Economist.
When six of the Seven Samurai are gathered, they have a maverick joining forces with them, or at least trying to be part of the group to begin with, the outsider, outré Kikuchiyo aka the most famous Japanese actor of the period – the film was released in 1954, in black and white.
The confrontation would be difficult, for even with the group of Seven Expert fighters that is now in charge of the defense of the village, they are still outnumbered and they face a better-equipped enemy that is sending three spies to study the terrain.
These first reconnaissance men are found and killed, but the battle would cause many victims among the peasants, albeit the strategy devised by the formidable Kambei Shimada is to allow individuals from the attacking group to penetrate the fence and then isolate and kill them.
One samurai falls in love with a young woman, but her father is viciously opposed to the idea and the discovery of the secret relationship – the two lovers met furtively – causes a scandal.
Finally, Kambei Shimada talks about the fact that it is the villagers who are the ultimate heroes, it is their fight and if it is a victory – let us not get into that – they would deserve all the glory.
The Seven Samurai is part of the history of cinema, to be found in the pages of glory.
Posted 5th August 2019 by realini
October 31, 2024
Magnificent !!!
This movie is on any number of best movies of all time lists.
Including mine.
The screenplay, complete with extensive camera directions and stills, validates why.
In Berkeley in the mid seventies there were a number of cinemas which regularly showed foreign
films ( the only way that you could see them) and for a time either Seven Samurai or Yojimbo seemed
to be omnipresent. While dating, I would invariably take a young lady to one or the other. If she
enjoyed the show and we continued, I would then lead up to Cousin Cousine, another favorite ( but
romantic). If she still expressed interest, we would end up at a midnight showing of Rocky Horror.
Oddly enough (or perhaps not) the lady I married has seen only the last two and that much later in
our relationship..
This movie is on any number of best movies of all time lists.
Including mine.
The screenplay, complete with extensive camera directions and stills, validates why.
In Berkeley in the mid seventies there were a number of cinemas which regularly showed foreign
films ( the only way that you could see them) and for a time either Seven Samurai or Yojimbo seemed
to be omnipresent. While dating, I would invariably take a young lady to one or the other. If she
enjoyed the show and we continued, I would then lead up to Cousin Cousine, another favorite ( but
romantic). If she still expressed interest, we would end up at a midnight showing of Rocky Horror.
Oddly enough (or perhaps not) the lady I married has seen only the last two and that much later in
our relationship..
January 18, 2019
没想到美国左翼知识分子能够将一整部电影分析得这么到位，从各个角度和背景，并且没有过度沉迷于分析人云亦云的时代背景中，对我做评论非常有启发。
I didn't expect that the American left wing intellectual could analyze a movie really precisely, from all kinds of perspectives and backdrops, as not indulging into analyzing the era's background repeatedly and overly. It's very inspiring to my doing critic.
I didn't expect that the American left wing intellectual could analyze a movie really precisely, from all kinds of perspectives and backdrops, as not indulging into analyzing the era's background repeatedly and overly. It's very inspiring to my doing critic.
March 7, 2008
While its argueable how good a read a script can be the book has 24 pages of photos that make it a must have for any fan of the movie.
August 31, 2016
A great accompany to the movie. True fans of Kurosawa's film will not be disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews