Rating: 
Summary: Seven Samurai = Five Stars
Review: Kurosawa's broadest and probably most accessible samurai epic. The straightforward story concerns a poor peasant village that hires seven samurai plus one buffoon (played by the incomparable Toshiro Mifune) to protect them against a gang of feudal bandits. Kurosawa embellishes this fundamentally Old West story with a host of great characterizations and a confident narrative drive that doesn't allow the film to lull during its 3+ hours run. What makes the film such a great experience is Kurosawa's dramatic telling of the samurai's plight - outcast from a feudal society which no longer needs them (as would be the case in his later "Yojimbo") and distrusted by the very peasants they're hired to protect, the samurai's warrior code, a fading relic of an earlier time, is the only thing which holds them together in this hostile world. The "Seven Samurai" can be seen as an elegy, albeit not a sentimentalized one, to this vanishing warrior class adrift in a world of social breakdown and rampant lawlessness. (Peckinpah would put a spin on this idea 15 years later in "The Wild Bunch" where the old warriors are replaced by the railroad magnates and their lackey politicans - an even greater grouping of thieves). Criterion's DVD is a fairly early release from them and it doesn't have a whole of lot extras. The main attraction is that you get the most complete version of the film available: 208 minutes as opposed to the 140-min. version on older VHS releases. The visual quality is, at times, variable but overall quite good (I'm not as uptight about these things as other reviewers - considering the film's age and often the quality of available prints). Although the asking price is a bit steep for a single DVD issue, this film's the one to buy if you want an excellent introduction to Japanese cinema.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: Oh my! Cinematograhy, plot, drama, acting... I can't believe this movie was made in 1956... I can't believe it has subtitles and is so engrossing... I can't believe it is not butter... In a word... "wow!" If you haven't seen it, see it. The stills are worth it alone... A marvelous still of the mill wheel in the creek, a "blow you away" shot at the end of the movie in front of the grave yard, stunning vistas of the village... This is not an in your face block-buster presentation... It is a technically sound film in ALL aspects, done with simplicity and grace. The result is POWERFUL! Top 3 movies of all time? * Citizen Kane, Seven Samurai, Apocalypse Now
Rating:
Summary: hits all parts of the human emotion
Review: This by far has been my latest favorite oldie movie. You just cant get the quailty of the direction of emotions that this movie envokes in the human heart. If your a very emontional person i say this is a must, if you like to feel truely moved then this is by far a classic japanese must see. Not only does this movie place feelings of sadness but happyness as well, in tradition asian comedy. it also includes the spirtuality of a warriors emptyness end, but i wouldnt want to give anything. aways get it its worth every penny. Word cant describe the quality of tradition that this movie displays. Much respect to all the actors for a job well done.
Rating:
Summary: A great movie by a great film maker.
Review: This is one of Kurosawa's greatest masterpiece. This movie even set the path for some of the best classic western films. It was artisticlly directed with strong characters and a strong story line. If you're expecting a kung fu flick with lots of blood and no plot but revenge, then don't watch this. Seven Samurai is like a great book put on film. The DVD has a commentary for indepth site on the story, the characters, the director, and the actors. I definitely recommend this DVD to any film enthusiast.
Rating:
Summary: Get the facts straight ADDU
Review: From ADDU's comments Save your money and time by not watching this badly made kung-fu movie. The guys in this movie do not know martial arts at all. The story goes as follows: Some shaolin monk gets hired by some korean guys to protect their village. > shaolin monks, koreans? i think you watched something else. He recruits some other kung-fu fighters and goes to the village and kills all bandits. > kung fu? End of story. The fight scenes are so bad that it is laughable. I have seen movies by bruce lee and Jet Lee and they are vastly superior. .... > this hong kong movie?
Rating: 
Summary: One for the purist.
Review: While Seven Samurai contains great acting and brave direction (not many directors would use such long pauses in dialogue and action in a movie, a style used hear to powerful affect) I found over three hours difficult to get through. The plot is a simple one, and could have been told as completely in a much shorter length film. If like me, you are a lover of film watching, rather than a lover of film making, don't expect too much from Seven Samurai.
Rating:
Summary: Kurosawa gets right what so few filmmakers today do not.
Review: Akira Kurosawa, the name that many of my friends use when dscribing great directors. After hearing how George Lucas based parts of STar Wars Episode IV on Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress," I tried to track it down, but instead, I found "The Seven Samurai." Also hailed by many people, I sat down and watched it, and lo and behold, Kurosawa told an involving story!! Now, someone on this thread was saying that this film is terrible for not having martial arts in it. Well, not every film from Asia has to have people flying and throwing 100-hand punches. Kurosawa takes us instead to a place where strategy and example fare much better than anything else. Set in the time of 16th century Japan, the country is in turmoil, and a lone village has found that in time, a herd of bandits is planning to plunder their village. The people are distraught, but the village elder suggests that they hire Samurai to protect them. Several men set out to find such a man or men, however, with the only thing to offer them is three meals a day, their prospects seem dull, until they find one Samurai named Kambei, who decides to help them, but with his knowledge, he feels that a band of Seven Samurai would be needed. And in time, they find their men: a young disciple(Katsushiro), a master swordsman(Kyuzo), an old friend of Kambei's(Shichiroji), as well as Gorobei, Heihachi, and last but not least, Kikuchiyo, a Samurai who seems a true enigma. What makes Kurosawa's film work to a degree, is that we do not get these 7 men in just 7 minutes, it takes time and discovery to find the chosen who can defend this village. Plus, due to the nature of structure, we get to learn about these men and find their ideas, faults and so forth. These men also seem to uphold a code of conduct, as they are not aggressive to everyone, but also take theri job seriously, such as helping to train the villagers, sharing their meager portions of food with others who would need it and so forth. The fact that this film was not colorized is also a great incentive. The black and white does something to the experience that would somehow "cheapen" the film, just as if someone were to colorize "Citizen Kane" or "Schindler's List." Overall, this film has leaped onto my top 25 list, and is one of those films that truly shows action, courage, and a number of qualities missing from action/drama films of today.
Rating:
Summary: A must have for anyone who truly appreciates cinema.
Review: This movie is the father of many action movies. It mixes suspense, action, and comedy to form a wonderful blend that keeps one intertained from start to finish. Given the date at which it was filmed, the quality and style of the scenes are magnificent. The characters are portrayed in a much more human way than in modern movies. If you are looking for a pure action flick search elsewhere but if you want a complete movie this may be a good choice for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring kung-fu movie
Review: Save your money and time by not watching this badly made kung-fu movie. The guys in this movie do not know martial arts at all. The story goes as follows: Some shaolin monk gets hired by some korean guys to protect their village. He recruits some other kung-fu fighters and goes to the village and kills all bandits. End of story. The fight scenes are so bad that it is laughable. I have seen movies by bruce lee and Jet Lee and they are vastly superior. Even the recent movie "the Matrix" has great hong kong type fight scenes, but this hong kong movie does not have any.
Rating:
Summary: One my all time faves!
Review: I was never much for subtitled films, until I saw this stunning film. If you ever wanted to see a classic film on DVD, but didn't know where to start, start with this one! The running commentary describes in great detail what the director did shot by shot and gives a good amount of history on the director and actors in the film.
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