I’ve had this stinking DVD for over three months now (thank you very much, Mr. Netflix), and I still don’t know exactly how to write about the monument and spectacle that is Kurosawa’s Shinchinin no samurai, or Seven Samurai.

Let me try the direct approach: Folks, this is good stuff!

This is the first movie I have seen by legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.  I had heard plenty about his work so my expectations were high, but I was not disappointed.

I had heard that The Magnificent Seven, a western about a ragtag group of cowboys brought together to protect a town (or something like that; I’ve never actually seen it), was based on Samurai. Any foreign film that was good enough to be remade as a western has to be worth checking out.

Acting:

There are seven samurai, but three stood out to me. Kanbei (Takashi Shimura), the leader, is a portrait of dignity, self-sacrifice, and leadership by example. I wish this guy ran my company. The sequence in which he recruits proud ronin off the street and gets them to believe in his cause is fascinating. Who wouldn’t want to follow this guy?

Kyuzo (Seiji Miyaguchi) must have been the Clint Eastwood of his day. He plays a stone-cold swordsman who would prefer to be left alone but will knock you on your butt just by looking at you if you mess with him.

Kikuchiyo  (Toshirô Mifune) is a light-hearted misfit, desperate to be respected as a samurai. His huge sword is a skillful symbol of his overcompensation and insecurity.

Shichinin no Samurai
Seven Samurai

(1954)

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Written by Shinobu Hashimoto and Akira Kurosawa
 

Starring:
Takashi Shimura, Toshirô Mifune, Yoshio Inaba, and  Seiji Miyaguchi

Two Academy Award Nominations:
     Best Art Direction
     Best Costume Design

Currently Ranked as the #7 Greatest Movie of All Time at IMDB.com

Mifune is a legend in Japanese cinema, and he worked with Kurosawa on many films, so I am looking forward to seeing him in other roles.

Directing and Cinematography:

This is easily the most beautiful black and white film I have ever seen (and no, I’m not counting Schindler’s List, because Spielberg cheated. Remember the red coat and yellow flame? You weren’t imagining it). Maybe that means I need to see more, and I plan to start by watching Kurosawa’s other films.

I’m no film connoisseur, so I had to watch the commentary with Japanese film expert Michael Jeck to pick up on most of this stuff. Mr. Jeck sounds like a pompous dork, but he knows his way around a Kurosawa movie. Kurosawa’s deft use of lighting and slow motion in particular struck me even on my first viewing. His attention to detail, however, is amazing, as when Mr. Jeck pointed out that even the birds singing in the background were only heard because Kurosawa wanted them there.

If you’re not one for commentaries, though, don’t worry; it doesn’t take an expert to appreciate the beauty that seems to fill every frame.

Themes:

Honor, love, innocence lost, the few versus the horde, and the now-familiar leader-recruiting-a-ragtag-group-for-one-last-mission… it’s all here and then some. Kurosawa incorporates these themes and so many more, and does so in a seamless fashion that advances the story and keeps the action coming.

There is one thing that stands above the rest that makes this DVD unique. Seven Samurai is the only movie I have ever watched at home that had an intermission. And I’m glad they included it on the DVD. The music is exceptional, and with the movie clocking in at just over three hours, you’ll be glad for the break.

Final Thoughts:

This film is exceptional, and belongs in your DVD collection. It’s expensive and not to be found on most store shelves, or it would already be in mine. Like I said, good stuff.

4 ½ out of 5 socks.

SockMonkey