Rating: 
Summary: Blind people with harrasing thoughts..
Review: I don't know what to say about all those who has rated this movie with four stars or less.. I would have get my taste of understanding and my perspective of seeing checked, if I were you. Since it's not possible to do it yet, i could do nothing but wish you good luck with the rest of your life..
Rating:
Summary: The original and still the best
Review: Admittedly, when our high school cinema teacher annouced we'd be watching a black and white movie with subtitles almost 4 hours long, there was a collective grumble that eminated from the students. And yet, once the movie started, not one person squirmed, fell asleep, or passed notes. This movie is so fab, it spawned the remake "The Magnificent Seven", and even "A Bug's Life".A poor village in Japan is routinely being attacked and robbed by bandits. These little "visits" always coincide with harvest time, and the villagers have little or no food left over for themselves. One day after an attack they seek the wisdom of an elder who tells them they cannot afford weapons, but they can find men with weapons, samurai, who will fight for them. A veteran samurai, who has fallen on hard times, answers the village's request for protection from the bandits. He gathers 6 other samurai to help him, and they teach the townspeople how to defend themselves, and in return they supply the samurai with three small meals a day. The film culminates in a giant battle when 40 bandits attack the village. There are so many stories within the bigger story that make this film the cinematic classic that it is. Even "The Magnificent Seven" couldn't truly capture the emotion the "Seven Samuri" brought (perhaps, as Billy Crystal once pointed out, it's just too ridiculous to hear Yul Brenner saying "Howdy, Partner!")The original is the best and should not be missed. Even without a load of DVD extras (you only get the original US movie trailer and a commentary by a Japanese film expert), it's worth every penny.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, not great.
Review: Having read countless 5 star reviews my expectations before watching this film were very high. I was disappointed. Let me say that I enjoyed The Last Samurai so much so that I found this movie by searching for other movies in the genre. To compare the two is like comparing a 2004 BMW(The Last Samurai) to a 1994 BMW(Seven Samurai), the 1994 was a great car for its time but is no comparison to the newer model. If Seven Samurai is on anyone's top-ten movie list it is only because they have not seen a movie since 1956. At times I felt as though I was watching something out of The Three Stooges and not a serious movie.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: This is a great movie for several reasons. One is the way in which the film was directed and two is how the scenes are shot. For this we have to thank Akira Kurosawa. The fight scenes between the samurai and the villagers were so detailed and well executed that they felt real. It's like you were by their side fighting. Of course another reason is the performance of Toshiro Mifune. He's good at portraying the flee bitten crude and masterless Samurai but this time he was only a farmer's son seeking acceptance. His character was at times stupid, even broke down and cried, showed embarassment and regret....a different set of emotions than which we are used to getting from him. He showed the various emotions through his facial expressions in such a manner that words weren't needed. The story of Samurai fighting on behalf of poor villagers for only handfulls of rice is something that appeals to the humanitarian factor....something we all like to think is still with us.
Rating:
Summary: The true meaning of the Way of the Samurai...
Review: is perhaps beeing honest to yourself and to others.
Not seeing any materialistic purpose to your existence, because the existence itself is only a vivid moment. Though it's the moment that can include such colorful feelings as love, hate and friendship.
What I want to say here is that if Kurosawa's way of filmmaking is surpassed today by someone I would really go to see this very person myself. The camerawork, actors and mass scenes are greatly composed into the one of the greatest films in history. I would rather not start an endless sonversation about how different cultures are and that eastern way of thinking is opposite to western. That is already known. But he had kind of smart way to get even closer to western audience then to eastern audience. So we could call him sort of revolutionary director.
His breakthrough film was Rashomon (1950), till the time of Rhapsody in August (91) and all the movies he made were remarkable. Still it is clear that his strongest period was between 1950 - 1962. After shaky times he had he made a comeback with Kagemusha (80), also a good samurai movie.
What we have here in Seven Samurai is a true meaning of life. True feelings of farmers and their helplesness to do anything against brutal force. But the hunger for life keeps them thinkinig the new survival ways and the thought of hireing samurais is good, previous cases had shown that it pays well. Instead of one or two they get seven and every one of them is different, from swordmaster to brave youngster.
To be short - see it because it is a predecessor of modern action films, only but there are no wires.
Rating:
Summary: Why Seven Samurai?
Review: Why is this film so great? What sets it apart from those countless other "classic" samurai flicks involving feudal japan and its daimyo's and geisha? Many things. First off, it is directed by Akira Kurosawa, one of the directors hailed by Lucas, Spielberg and others as inspiration for their films (Star Wars being one). The story begins. We see a village distraught because it is being marauded by a band of savage bandits. Destruction seems to be coming. The village's only chance is to have samurai protect it. But that's a slim chance. Until a man is seen shaving his head, posing as a preist to save a hostage victim from a crazed bandit hiding in a shed. Many think this was the beginning of the "scene" in which has nothing to do with the later plot. I wouldn't doubt it. This man is taken as the Samurai leader. And agrees to protect the village. For rice. Heres where some turn away from this film. Some wonder why a samurai would protect a village with little to no pay. Here's where some knowledge of Japan must be known. Samurai will take any job, it is their nature. It seems to be almost masochistic as the bandits keep attacking after repeatedly losing men towards the end of the film. Why is this film rated with only four and a half stars? It is, I feel the best movie of all time. Many critics, including Roger Ebert, agree. So, what is it you say? Why is the movie so special? I think it is the characters that set it apart. This movie shows the most brilliant character development I have ever seen in a film. Every perfomance is memorable. Especially Toshiro Mifune's, playing as the lazy-romantic Kikuchiyo. TAkashi Shimura's performance as the group's leader is also very memorable. The audience feels a certain euphoria when watching the characters. They laugh and cry all at the appropriate times. They scream with the intensity we all know. The hate you feel when protecting some thing you care for. I would argue that this movie shows the best acting in a film since films have been around. Its so amazing, so astounding, that one feels they are there, and despite the film being in black and white, can feel the colors of life through the characters.. Its really indescribable how touching the movie is. Some have called it sadistic, but it brings about a really good moral. A lesson. That some things must move on, and the hero's aren't always the one's that save the day... My rating: 5 stars. Best film ever made.
Rating:
Summary: Undisputed masterpiece gets the DVD release it deserves.
Review: Defining the "best movie ever made" is very subjective, and the hype generated by such praise often gives viewers expectations that a single movie cannot hope to satisfy. Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" is one of the rare movies in that it is universally praised and admired by film scholars and casual views alike. Though I will claim that this is indeed the best movie ever made, it is near the top of my list, and I firmly believe that it deserves every inch of the hype. And it also goes without saying that the Criterion DVD is the only way to go. Despite the long running time, the story is surprisingly easy to follow. A group of poor villagers, impoverished by constant attacks by bandits, hire a group of ronin samurai to defend their village from the impending attacks. The main character is played by Kurosawa staple Toshiro Mifune, playing the misfit of the samurai group who carries the large sword over his shoulder, and can convey his thoughts without even opening his mouth. Also putting their best feet forward are several prominent Japanese actors of the day, many of whom went on to star in future Kurosawa pictures. The battle scenes, many of which take place towards the latter quarter of the movie, are masterfully choreographed and filmed, despite the low budget of the film. Also ahead of it's time was Kurosawa's camera trickery, such as the fading, the deep focus, and trademark use of weather and lighting conditions to accentuate the mood of the film (he uses heavy rain to signify hard times for the villagers, for example). For great insight into Kurosawa's technique, listen to the commentary track by Japanese film scholar Michael Jeck. The Criterion DVD is not as full-featured as other Criterion DVDs, but this is probably due to the lack of archival material. The only real extra of note is the aforementioned commentary. It is as informative as DVD commentaries get, though so much information is given that you might be tempted to take notes. Michael Jeck is obviously an expert on the subject of not only Japanese movies, but the culture and history, and he gives plenty of side information on Japanese customs and samurai traditions. Most interesting is how he points out many nuances in Kurosawa's filming style. You will walk away with a new appreciation for the movie after hearing the commentary. On the technical side, the print is better than any previously released, and miles better than the discounted "Region Free" copies floating around. Though there is a bit of grain in the darker shots, for the most part the print is excellent. "Seven Samurai" is a bona fide classic, and one that deserves all the praise it receives. It never feels dated, and the use of comedy, action, and drama ensures that sitting through the 3 ½ hours is enjoyable, rather than an endurance trial. The Criterion release, with the quality transfer and the excellent commentary, is the best way to experience it. Also recommended from Kurosawa are "Ikiru", "Hidden Fortress", and "Yojimbo", and all are available from Criterion Collection.
Rating:
Summary: Succint capsule reveiw.
Review: A serious contender for "best film ever made". In spite of being 3+ hours long, Kurosawa handles the pace so deftly that it scarcely seems that long at all. About as perfectly balanced as you could hope a film to be; the humourous, lighthearted aspects complement the starker, unromantic depictions of peasant existence, which in turn are meshed expertly with the adeptlt-filmed action sequences. Emotional and compelling, stylish and profound, all at once. If there were a rating above 5-stars, I'd award it.
Rating:
Summary: awesome classic!!!!
Review: This movie is beyond praise. It's one of the best ever and set the standard for so many others that have tried but can't quite duplicate it's power. I don't know what those who gave this movie a low rating are even thinking. I doubt there even old enough to really appreciate good cinema. Special effect ladden movies are so run of the mill and too common. To have a movie that actually has a plot these days is very very rare. For any real movie fan this is a definite must have!!!
Rating:
Summary: Toshiro Mifune at his Finest
Review: The apex of Japanese Cinema. Never in all my life have i seen a finer film from this era. When a village learns of an attack, they hire seven samurai to protect them. Akira Kurosawa will forever be remembered as the genius who created this timeless classic.
I just wanted to say that Seven Samurai is NOT a Kung Fu. The battle sequences are not made to show one man beating up thirty agressors. The samurai movies show the frailty of life. They show that even the greatest warriors can be defeated. So please never compare a movie about samurai to a Chuck Norris or Bruce Lee flick again.
Also to those who complain about the way the movie was filmed, it was 1954. There were no special effects that existed at the time. Movies had to have plots. One person attempts to compare Seven Samurai to Wing Commander, nominated for worst movie of the year, saying that wing commander had better special effects. Wing Commander was made in the 90's. it should have better effects, but the fact of the matter is, wing commander had a horriable story. Seven Samurai is a brillent motion picture. Wing Commander sucked. To whoever tried to compare these two movies i would like to ask never write a review for a classic movie again. You just are not intelligent enough to understand a complex plot.
With all that said, Seven Samurai: One of the greatest movies ever made.
| 
