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Summary: SEVEN SAMURAI
Review: Renowned the world over, Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" definitely deserves its status as an action masterpiece and staple of classic cinema. Though grand in scope, Kurosawa's opus is an intimate and thoughtful exploration of several distinct character types and their place in the world. It is this characterization and the director's leisurely yet ever-advancing pace that lends "Seven Samurai" much that makes it unique. Few movies--action or otherwise--offer as much to consider as this one. The cast is also superb, from Takashi Shimura's peerless samurai chief to Toshiro Mifune's wild samurai wanna-be to star-crossed lovers Keiko Tsushima and Isao Kimura (whose love scenes are perhaps the most believably powerful yet filmed) and everyone in-between. Over everything Fumio Hayasaka's magical score, simple but authoritative, hovers like a golden halo. In fact, though it is surely heresy to say so, I found the action scenes to be among the weaker moments in the film. By modern standards, they aren't nearly as spectacular as they must have been to 50s viewers. But while that might doom a lesser action film, "Seven Samurai" enthralls despite this minor drawback, thanks to its incredible combination of great direction, dialogue, performances, and absolutely amazing camerawork and set design--the rain-shrouded final battle is a thing of macabre majesty. Of course I realize this is not a film for everyone--this is a three-hour b&w film in Japanese set in the distant past that has little in common with modern action pix in terms of style, cinematography and choreography and so may be disappointing to many. Be that as it may, I consider "Seven Samurai" to be a cerebral triumph that is a great testament to the power of drama to portray and inspire the human spirit. A profound all-around viewing experience.
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Summary: Akira Kurosawas works are a must own.......
Review: Akira Kurosawa was a genius and his works are a must own in our home. This movie now on CD is so wonderful and when I think of when it was originally made which was in 1954 it is even more impressive. What is often missed by westerners who first encounter Akira Kurosawa films is the underling humor. Having the people of the village who wanted and have found the needed help in the samurai, both the samurai are to proud and the villagers to proud. As the samurai encounter the bandits and seek their hideout and either death or capture, the movie ends on another somewhat humorous note with a dark edge, where the remaining samurai pass their comrades graves while the villagers oblivious sing rice planting songs as if the bandits had never been a problem and life never disrupted.
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Summary: A disappointment
Review: I have tried watching this film several times and have never been able to get through it due to boredom. The audio commentary on this one is something else as the commentator makes a big deal out of every shot, even the most mundane and obvious ones. He could find a silver lining in a typhoon! The acting is over-the-top as far as I am concerned. This is just another art house foreign film that you are supposed to like because it's good for you - just like broccoli, I suppose.
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Summary: Epic tale even though it's decades old.
Review: I was simply amazed watching this film at how simple the tale was but at how masterfully crafted and told the story was written. This movie will seriously play upon your emotions and only a cold hearted person, without emotion wouldn't be able to connect to this plot. Compassion, sadness, desperation, love and triumph are all prominent in this film. And the balance between these elemenys is impeccable. The cinemetography is masterful. There is an intense to detail. Every shot is masterfully done. The atmosphere will pull you right in. The acting is top notch and there absolutely no room for improvement in the script. It's just hard to say something bad about it. Even being a foreign film, Japanese too -[and you know Japanese and Chinese movies have a lot of mythology involved that is hard for us Americans to understand.]- but the plot is truly one that is worth high praise. Seven Samurai is a roller coaster of emotions and it gives an indepth view into the mind and soul of the warrior spirit. Seven Samuari is the best movie I've seen in a long time and definately one of the greatest movies of all time. I'd gladly recommend this movie to anyone. 5 glowing stars. 10 if they were possible.
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Summary: Criterion Is NOT the Paragon of Quality
Review: For a film with such a hefty price tag, I would expect the english subtitles to at least be accurate...there are instances, such as when the word "become" is confused with "because," that simply make no sense. Aside from that (again keeping in mind the massive price tag Criterion has assigned to this disc), there are plenty of scratches and weird black spots scattered throughout the print. They cleaned up some of it, but apparently ran out of patience (I don't see how they could have run out of money!). I give 5 stars to Akira Kurosawa, but loud jeers for the greedy crooks at Criterion.
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Summary: Masterpiece!
Review: What can I say that has not already been said? The Criterion version has a great commentary, so check it out.
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Summary: Amazing...
Review: I've always heard about this movie but I was reluctant to watch it because I'm not fond of movies made in the 1950s. But I decided to give it a try and I'm really glad I did. Even though it's almost 50 years old, I still found the story to be top notch with great performances by the men who played the samurai. The action was pretty good consider the year the movie was released. The action scenes can't compare to today's action sequences but I'm sure that back in the 50's it must have been amazing to see. It's nice to watch a movie that is the basis of so many action movies today. At times I caught myself thinking that I've seen something from this movie in other movies, but then I remembered that most movies borrowed and took things from this amazing movie. So I highly reccomend this movie, it's action scenes may seem dated to most of us used to today's action scenes, but the overall story, humor and character development makes this movie superior to 99.9% of todays action movies.
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Summary: Seven Stars for Seven Samurai
Review: This is quite possibly the most believeable movie of all time. There is such a deep sense that these actors are real villagers in true peril. The samurai, exude class and brilliance FAR beyond anything seen in The Magnificent Seven. Cinematography has a very wide range, as do the characters and depth of feeling. A true classic.
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Summary: Japanes Classic Action/Adventure Epic -- Top Of The Genre
Review: This epic Japanese film is director Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece. In 16th century Japan, a murderous gang of 40 bandits threatens to go on a rampage of plundering and murder in a farming village. The menaced citizens hire seven professional soldiers, the samurai, who agree to fight off the invaders. The film has been rightfully celebrated by fans and critics worldwide for its humor, heroism and humanity. "The Seven Samurai" was the obvious inspiration for the later Hollywood Western "The Magnificent Seven", copying the essence of it's predecessor in many aspects. -- The original Japanese version with English subtitles may appeal more than the dub version.
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Summary: No words and no picture could ever convey...
Review: This movie is, as stated by the 'offical' reviewer, impossible to describe in a synopsis. It's intelligent, funny, action-packed, dramatic, and overall an all-encompassing film. To the best of my limited knowledge, it has no peer or even close relative to compare it to, in terms of quality. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll grip the armrests of your chair. This is a movie that rips your heart out of your chest and alternately tickles it and steps on it. And then it puts it back. You'll never see a better movie, period. Just make sure to allocate a 7-hour block of your life to watch it all...it's better to watch it twice in a row. You'll want more when it's finished.
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