Rating: 
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This movie is a piece of art and the DVD version justified its substance by providing the audience with quality (remastered) resolution and a comprehensive commentary on key scenes, which helps one to understand the background of the venue and era that the film was set upon.The storey tells of a farming village, being mercilessly haunted by bandits time and again, trying to seek external help from Samurais; entities that were being regarded to be more superior in class then the farmers in feudal Japan. Eventually, seven warriors agreed to assist the villagers' scouts out of mainly humanitarian reasons and sympathy. The distrust among the villagers of external parties and their primitive survival instincts which basis societies can reconcile with today were skilfully crafted by Kurosawa. This epic reveals basic humanity and its struggle for survival, the paths that one could resort to in trying times of desperation, poverty and need. It also highlights another (quite) subtle message of the various insecurities instilled into organisations through the various side-effects of their cultural background (enforced by the aforesaid elements); the cautionary attitude toward foreigners and mentalities alike, and ultimately, the isolation into one's own world with a repugnance of its external affairs...regardless of affiliations. Not to be missed!
Rating:
Summary: Make in a cultural night
Review: First let me agree with all the positive reviews. Second a fun suggestions is to watch this back to back with the American version of the film "The Magnificent Seven." It's interesting to see how the characters and story are modified to fit an American audience. Cultural differences between Americans and Japanese is interesting to see in the context of the film.
Rating:
Summary: Not expected, but a great film....
Review: On paper, it may be difficult to gather up the effort to see this movie: 3 hours long, Black and white, English subtitles, and filmed over 45 years ago. I too was skeptical. But I bought this movie, and must say that it is now one of my favorites. It has all the dramatic effects of a Braveheart: action, plot, romance, humor, but in a classical, less 'bells and whistles' sense. The movie goes by slower than Braveheart, but I think that is one of the greatest parts, because the film captures your attention, and draws your mind in, and does not scare you away with thundering audio or flashy visual effects. Perhaps what I like the best is the breadth and depth of characters in this film. The seven samurai each have their own unique characteristics, including leadership, youth, discipline, and free-spiritness; together which form a good representation of society. The farmers too add a good part to the film, as they become defenders of their town.
Rating:
Summary: Watch this at least once
Review: First, I would like to state, as many others have done, that this film (just like Casablanca) will never be available in a widescreen format, because it was never filmed in one. Second , I would like to say to any person who enjoys such epics as Braveheart, Full Metal Jacket, Star Wars, and you know, pretty much any other movie after 1954 in which somebody gets killed, IT ALL COMES BACK TO THE SEVEN SAMURAI. This Three hour Japanese epic tour de force sets a precedent which virtually every cinematic epic since has followed. In conclusion, WATCH THIS MOVIE, even if you don't feel like buying it. So the digital transfer isn't perfect, it looks as good on DVD as it looks on VHs, and that's really all I expected to get when I watched this. once again WATCH THIS MOVIE
Rating:
Summary: Deserves more than just 5 stars
Review: The commentary on the DVD version of Seven Samurai is extremely informative for any Gaijin. The commentator explains all kinds of subtleties not apparent to the non-Japanese viewer, such as how many of even the smallest non-speaking parts are played by famous actors familiar at the time throughout Japan. Lots of fascinating stories behind the stories. Really taught me to appreciate Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune. If you own a DVD player you must buy this DVD, even if you already own the film on tape. I wish all Japanese films had English-language commentary like this one.
Rating:
Summary: Thank you Criterion!
Review: You have to congratulate Criterion on this one. They took a movie that isn't incredibly popular, except among perhaps movie critics, and made a great DVD out of it. For the first time in history you can watch this movie uninterrupted. AND there is an excellent commentary track. I listen to many tracks, and this is one of the best ones out there. At 3 hours, Michael Jeck doesn't stop giving out great nuggets of information. Plus there are a bunch of other extras, but they are superfluous. IMO the commentary track is the most important extra a DVD can have.
Rating:
Summary: The real original version
Review: How meny times the cinematic technic of this movie has been studied and copied by many film makers? This is one of the few classic film that gives me the feeling of deja-vu. However, it is interesting that the soundtrack you hear in this version is the orlder one. Since Kurosawa invented the sound efect of samurai sword cutting the flesh on "Yozimbo" in 1962, he added same kind of sound efect when the film was re-released on 1991(or 1974). But before "Yozimbo", there was no sound effect like that. Each time I see this director's cut version in USA, the sound track was always new version. Because there's no sound effect like that in this DVD, I assume that this is the real original version in 1954. However,it is very collectible to anyone who love the movies.
Rating:
Summary: The Cirterion Collection is the best
Review: Great great great movie. Just the right pacing and always keeps you interested and watching. The best extra on the DVD is the commentary by a Japanese Cinema expert ... all kinds of insightful information.
Rating:
Summary: The Seven Samurais
Review: I've seen this movie manyatimes and think it one of the all time best. Or in the millennial cliche: it has to be the best of all movies. To relate the impact of this movie on some young Japanese overseas students who don't get to see Kurosawa in Japan - which is a bloody shame - and only gets to see it in N. America, one needs use only one word: Wow! Forget the derivatives, this - as well as Yojimbo and Sanjuro - is the REAL thing!
Rating:
Summary: the best eastern - western
Review: first saw the Magnifacent 7 in the early 50s .It started me on a love affair with Jappanese films.the fencing scenes were great,the plot wounderfull,the acting out of sight.Itis also a history lessen of mid-evil Japan.The flow of the film is great. Kurosowa at his best.Toshiro Mifune was a master of emotion. i loved thi movie
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