Seven Samurai Turns 70

It was 70 years ago on this date, on April 26 1954, that Seven Samurai was released in Japan. It is regarded as Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece, as well as one of the greatest movies ever made. As for myself, it is my favourite movie ever made. Indeed, I consider it the greatest movie of all time.

When I was growing up one of my favourite movies was (and still is) The Magnificent Seven (1960), a tale of seven gunslingers who band together to defend a small village from marauders. I would be a teenager before I learned that The Magnificent Seven was based on an earlier, Japanese film, Seven Samurai, in which seven samurai band together to defend a village against bandits. I would be in my twenties before I actually saw Seven Samurai. I had already seen Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962), which I both loved. When my best friend rented Seven Samurai from 9th Street Video in Columbia, I was then more than ready to see it. It did not disappoint. In fact, even upon my first viewing I decided it was one my favourite movie of all time and what I considered the greatest movie ever made. I have seen Seven Samurai many time since then and my opinion has not changed.

Seven Samurai is certainly a marvel of cinematic technique. Asakazu Nakai's black-and-white cinematography is beautiful. Nearly even given frame of Seven Samurai would make for a great still photography. Akira Kurosawa's editing is also superb, made all the more remarkable by the fact that he edited the movie even as it was being shot. As to Akira Kurosawa's direction, it too is incredible. As much as I love Alfred Hitchcock and Billy Wilder, I remain convinced Akira Kurosawa is the greatest director of all time, and Seven Samurai is his best work.

While Seven Samurai boasts fantastic cinematography, editing and direction, it may be the screenplay by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni that its greatest strength. The story is nothing short of compelling, as a small Japanese village in 1586 hires seven samurai to defend them against bandits who have attacked the village regularly. As might be expected, there are several great action scenes, but Seven Samurai is much more than an action movie. The characters are all fully rounded, from the samurai to various villagers, so that the interactions between the various characters make for several great scenes. Seven Samurai is also well-paced. The film clocks in at three hours and 23 minutes, but it hardly feels that long. In fact, when I first saw Seven Samurai I told my best friend it could be even longer.

Not only does Seven Samurai boast a great script, but also great acting as well. There is not one bad performance in the film. Toshiro Mifune, who gave many great performances throughout his career, gave what may be his best performance in his career as Katsushirō, a peasant who aspires to (and is eventually considered) a samurai. Takashi Shimura also gives a great performance as Kambei Shimada, the war-weary leader of the samurai. Kokuten Kōdō as Gisaku, the village elder whom everyone calls "Granddad," is remarkable. All of the actors in Seven Samurai give great performances, no matter how small their role may be.

Of course, Seven Samurai was revolutionary and remains highly influential. Japanese film expert Michael Jeck suggested that it was first movie in which a team of heroes was assembled for a mission, a trope that has since been used in movies from The Guns of Navarone (1961) to Star Wars (1977). In addition to The Magnificent Seven, it has also been remade several times. The film's pacing and visual aesthetic would also be influential on American and British action films from the Sixties to today. As strange as it might sound, films as diverse as the James Bond films and Saving Private Ryan (1998) have been influenced by Seven Samurai. Of course, various elements from Seven Samurai have been used in yet other action films, from the introduction of a hero in a scene unrelated to the plot to use of rain to large battle scenes have been borrowed by numerous other movies.

What appeals to me about Seven Samurai is that at its core is its humanity. The fact that its heroes, as well as the villagers, are all human beings with their fare share of virtues and flaws, makes the heroism of both the samurai and the villagers even greater than if they had been more traditional movie heroes of the time. As great as the film's cinematography, editing, and direction is, as good as its pace is, I think the reason Seven Samurai has remained influential seventy years after its release is that it is an epic, but at the same time realistic story of ordinary people who become heroes.