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“Shichinin no Samurai” is not the first samurai film. Toho studios had
made plenty, just as other studios had. On this occasion, Toho made the best.
This film is regarded as not only the best samurai film and the greatest
Japanese film, but one of the greatest films of all time. This is not only the
opinion of the reviewer, but of critics and film fans alike. The film is a
constant in the fan-voted top 250 movies on the website
www.IMDB.com (International Movie DataBase).
The story itself should be very familiar. A lone hero gathers a rag-tag band
of journeymen and takes up the cause of a downtrodden village. This scenario has
been played out many times in film, TV, and even comics. The western classic
“The Magnificent Seven” was an indirect retelling of “Shichinin no Samurai.”
Anytime a plot involves a group of loners uniting for a cause, the legend begins
anew. The main difference is that this film was first.
While the early 16th century Samurai had standing mirroring knighthood, the
latter part of the same century presented a different being. The caste system
(political ladder) was eroding, paving the way for more Western-based ideas.
This point is skillfully illustrated in the recent film “The Last Samurai.” With
Japanese lords being killed or fleeing their homes, the samurai was a skilled
mercenary with no employer. Some of the samurai stuck fervently by their code,
but many chose killing for money over starving. It was not uncommon for a lone
samurai to bully a town, taking what they wanted, especially young female
villagers. Many samurai would rent themselves out for any dirty job (theft,
murder, etc..) as long as it paid well.
During these economically challenged times, it was common for bandits to
travel from village to village like locusts, feeding and destroying everything
in their path. After they had their fill, the bandits would move to the next
village. This was quite a parasitic life. Some groups even visited the same
villages in sequence yearly, which kept the groups healthy and well fed.
Unfortunately, farmers would work their crops each season and never enjoy the
rewards. The villagers in our story decide to take action and fight. To do their
fighting, they decide upon hiring samurai. This is not an easy decision, because
as much as the villagers fear and loathe the marauding hordes, they have even
less respect for the once honored class of samurai.
Mention must be made about the film’s architect, Akira Kurosawa. Kurosawa’s
greatest strength as a filmmaker is to make the viewer care about every
character, no matter how two dimensional they may initially seem. In most other
films, the scared villagers would be an afterthought. In this film, most any 2nd
or 3rd tier character could have easily been pulled to the front and garner your
attention. In fact, the first time you see the movie, you will probably
initially think the top star is Takashi Shimura’s Kambei. While you follow the
regal and wise samurai Kambei, the default leader of the group, you may dismiss
the buffoon/comic relief found in Toshrio Mifune’s Kikuchiyo. This is exactly
what Kurosawa intended.
It’s really hard to take Kikuchiyo seriously because everyone knows someone
like him. Kikuchiyo is the guy that doesn’t belong with your group because he
acts like a fool, dresses like a hobo, runs his mouth too much, and is basically
the square peg. In the film, he’s also a drunk, a liar, and definitely not a
samurai. Basically, you get the impression that Kikuchiyo is down on his luck
and just wants to belong by feigning toughness. Slowly, Kurosawa reveals why
this is the starring role.
In a scene occurring after the group journeys to the village, Mifune begins
to shine. As alluded to, the village is less than friendly to the Samurai. One
village even goes so far as to brutally cut his daughter’s hair and make her
over in male fashion in order to keep her under Samurai radar. The villagers
hide and refuse to interact with their hopeful saviors. Suddenly, the alarm bell
is rung to signal the return of the marauding bandits. The village explodes with
a fury of fear because judgment day has arrived, leading the inhabitants to
literally beg the samurai to protect them. Fortunately, there is no horde; only
Kikuchiyo playing a prank. This time, the heart of the supposed samurai is
displayed as he launches into soliloquy, with the basic them being “You refuse
to acknowledge us as humans, yet you beg for our protection?” By the end of his
speech, Kikuchiyo has bonded the village with their heroes, inspired the
villagers to be proactive in defending their own land, and officially earned his
slot in the “Shichinin no Samurai.”
Overall, the film can be dichotomously divided into sections featuring the
gathering of the legendary seven combined with the battle preparations and the
battle itself. The battle scenes are not to be compared with today’s cinematic
swordplay. There are many beautifully choreographed battle scenes in modern
Asian film. Masterpieces ranging from “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,”
“Versus,” “Azumi,” and Takeshi Kitano’s recent “Zatoichi” update all have
compelling artistic fights scenes. Even the well done “The Last Samurai”
starring Tom Cruise has some well thought swordplay. What lies within “Shichinin
no Samurai” is not in the same class. This is possibly the most accurate
portrayal of samurai battles in film history. There is no pretty wire work, just
plain and simple brutality and war. Warriors with swords attempting to kill each
other in the quickest possible fashion,
One simple review can not begin to cover all of the intricate displays of
human emotion in this film. Every single character, from poor farmer to honored
swordsman, earns a spot close to your heart. You will feel for the farmers,
curse the bandits, and root for the samurai. The ending is traditionally Asian
as well: not happy, not sad, but a realistic reflection and resolution of the
events that came before. While “Shinichin no Samurai” does require a lengthy
investment of time (3hrs, 45 min), it is one of the most honest, compelling
stories ever told on the silver screen.
- FACT #1 – More than once, Toho attempted to cease production due to
Kurosawa’s expenses on the project (they were convinced that it was too long
and would flop).
- FACT #2 – The film should have technically been called “Shichinin
no Ronin,” as the word Ronin is the correct term for an unemployed samurai.
- FACT #3 – Director Akira Kurosawa literally wrote a book on the
life of each speaking character, complete with favorite foods, work habits,
and a family tree.
- FACT #4 – At the date of writing, “Shichinin no Samurai” is ranked
5th on the IMDB list of greatest movies. Only “The Godfather “ I & II, “LOTR:
Return of the King,” and “Shawshank Redemption” are above it.
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