Seven Samurai

Production year: 1954

Action R   Running time: 3:23 

IMDB rating:   8.7     Aspect: 4:3;  Languages: Japanese;  Subtitles: English;  Audio: DD 2.0 Surround

Unanimously hailed as one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of the motion picture, Seven Samurai has inspired countless films modeled after its basic premise. But Akira Kurosawa's classic 1954 action drama has never been surpassed in terms of sheer power of emotion, kinetic energy, and dynamic character development. The story is set in the 1600s, when the residents of a small Japanese village are seeking protection against repeated attacks by a band of marauding thieves. Offering mere handfuls of rice as payment, they hire seven unemployed "ronin" (masterless samurai), including a boastful swordsman (Toshiro Mifune) who is actually a farmer's son desperately seeking glory and acceptance. The samurai get acquainted with but remain distant from the villagers, knowing that their assignment may prove to be fatal. The climactic battle with the raiding thieves remains one of the most breathtaking sequences ever filmed. It's poetry in hyperactive motion and one of Kurosawa's crowning cinematic achievements. This is not a film that can be well served by any synopsis; it must be seen to be appreciated (accept nothing less than its complete 203-minute version) and belongs on the short list of any definitive home-video library.

Director

Features

Audio commentary
Featurettes/Behind-The-Scenes/Documentaries
Photo gallery
Trailers/TV spots

Special features

Commentary by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck
Commentary by Film Scholars
50 Minute Making Of Documentary
My Life in Cinema
Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences: Documentary
A booklet featuring essays and an interview
Seven Samurai