Seven Samurai (Shichinin no Samurai) (1954)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tim S

  
  Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai is not merely a film classic, but a film great. One that, like Kurosawa's other work, has lived on through critics and film enthusiasts alike. The story itself has been remade countless times in different settings, different time periods and… More
  Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai is not merely a film classic, but a film great. One that, like Kurosawa's other work, has lived on through critics and film enthusiasts alike. The story itself has been remade countless times in different settings, different time periods and with different story aspects, but the original film still manages to remain untarnished. It's just as spectacular as it was when it first premiered in 1954. It's considered by the country it originates from to be the greatest Japanese film ever made, and I can definitely understand why. It's absolutely superb in ever detail. Its nearly 3 1/2 hour length will likely turn off most modern viewers, but those looking for a great film experience need look no further.

• Reid V

  
  Cliched as it may seem, you cannot help but respect this film. Not only is the scale of the film epic, but the story is nuanced and much more than a series of battle sequences. It is a story of class struggle and Kurosawa isn't afraid to take his time to let you get to know these… More
  Cliched as it may seem, you cannot help but respect this film. Not only is the scale of the film epic, but the story is nuanced and much more than a series of battle sequences. It is a story of class struggle and Kurosawa isn't afraid to take his time to let you get to know these characters. Takashi Shimura is terrific as usual as the leader of the pack Kambei. Seven Samurai has a lot to say and we can thank God that Kurosawa keeps it interesting throughout the entire 3 and 1/2 hours.

• Jim H

  
  As I watched what is widely considered Kurosawa's masterpiece, I realized that this is quite possibly the most imitated film in American cinema (that is that American cinema imitates this film most often; I know that <i>The Seven Samurai</i> is not an American film… More
  As I watched what is widely considered Kurosawa's masterpiece, I realized that this is quite possibly the most imitated film in American cinema (that is that American cinema imitates this film most often; I know that <i>The Seven Samurai</i> is not an American film unlike one Netflix reviewer who seemed shocked that it was in Japanese; what bothered me most is that two people found that review helpful). The samurai, motivated by honor and charity, agree to protect a peasant village from invading bandits. The basic plot is ancillary to Kurosawa's two major achievements. First, virtually all of the characters are round. Oftentimes action movies fill the protagonist army with one or two characters who serve merely as brawn, window dressing, or cannon fodder. But here each samurai who meets his end is its own tragedy. And while Kurosawa doesn't waste too much time on back-story, the fore-grounding drama is always compelling, always interesting, and always more complex than what typical films allow. Second, the opening title cards tell us quite plainly that the bandits are the "bad guys." In another film, they would be given red light sabers. But when we finally get to see the bandits' camp, we're struck by the similarity between the bandits' lives and the villagers'. One of the bandit houses is set on fire, and to validate the bandits' "badness," a woman notices the blaze but neglects to warn anybody. This is the closest Kurosawa comes to demonizing the enemy. Additionally, whereas the samurai are willing the spare the life of a prisoner, the village elder permits his execution by a blood-thirsty crowd and a woman avenging her son. Thus, Kurosawa does what few action films even attempt: he problematizes reductive conceptions of "good" and "evil." Throughout <i>The Seven Samurai</i>, we always know who we're going to root for, but in Kurosawa's hands, we can't be uncritical of our heroes. For modern audiences used to sharp, stylized action sequences, this film might seem a bit dated. For me, I didn't really care because such sequences rarely adequately compel me. I did have issues with the performances, which I thought were often over-the-top with screaming and yelling where subtlety might have worked better. Overall, this is an important film, the progenitor of a genre, and almost all of it stands the test of time.

• Thomas B

  
  An incredible achievement in early film and a kick-ass action film to boot. Full review later.

• Aditya G

  
  Akira Kurosawa's 1954 masterpiece, "Shichinin no Samurai" needs no introduction. It is, as every serious film buff would agree, one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. Words aren't enough to describe this timeless classic, which has been a… More
  Akira Kurosawa's 1954 masterpiece, "Shichinin no Samurai" needs no introduction. It is, as every serious film buff would agree, one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. Words aren't enough to describe this timeless classic, which has been a source of inspiration for countless films that followed..many of them action films, Spaghetti Westerns, etc. In sixteenth century Japan, a village is under the threat of an attack by bandits who plan to rob them of their crops after the harvest. The villagers go the village elder to seek advice. He suggests hiring Samurai to defend the village. Now, the Samurai are a feared lot. Knowing that they are infamous for their lust for young women and are also known to be expensive, they villagers initially show reluctance. The wise elderly man then advises to "find hungry Samurai" and hire them. And so it begins, the first act, which mostly involves the herculean task of finding Samurai who would come to their village, participate in a life-threatening battle against the bandits, only in return for shelter and daily meals. The task is not an easy one, but the first Samurai they manage to convince is himself a wise, experienced and a man possessing leadership qualities. He feels deeply for the villagers who are trying their best to rope him in by eating millet themselves and saving all the rice they have for the Samurai. He promptly takes up the task of finding himself some more Samurai. It is in these scenes that the magic of this film begins to show with some of the most cleverly executed sequences that include "testing" of the Samurai to find out if they are indeed fit for the job. Club that with the "reluctant heroes", who aren't initially willing to take up the job, but eventually do. Here we are introduced to the prime characters in the film, the Seven Samurai: Kanbei Shimada (Takashi Shimura) - The leader of the group, the wisest of them all, who is the first one recruited. Katsushiro Okamoto (Isao Kimura) - A young ambitious warrior who wishes to be Kanbe's disciple. Gorobei Katayama (Yoshio Inaba) - A skilled archer. Shichiroji (Daisuke Kato) - An old acquaintance of Kanbei, meets him by chance in the town and instantly becomes part of the group. Heihachi Hayashida (Minoru Chiaki) - Known for his sense of humour, the group relies on him to maintain a sense of cheer in the face of adversity. Kyuzo (Seiji Miyaguchi) - The reluctant hero, an excellent swordsman, who initially declines, but later accepts the offer. Kambei thinks very highly of him, as he sees him perform. Kikuchiyo (Toshiro Mifune) - The last addition to the group. He isn't really a Samurai but later proves to be as worthy. All of them march towards the village with the happy villagers and so begins the second act, which mostly involves building of the master plan to defend the village, training the villagers to form an army and prepare for defense. The third act is the battle itself. Amidst all this, we are shown the internal conflicts amongst the Samurai and the villagers, the blooming, secret romance between the youngest Samurai and a particular village belle and several other themes. Apart from the Samurai there is a whole bunch of wonderful characters including Yohei (Bokuzen Hidari), the timid old man, Manzo (Kamatari Fujiwara), Manzo's daughter Shino (Keiko Tsushima), Rikichi (Yoshio Tsuchiya) among many others. Acting is great from almost all of the cast, notably Kurosawa regulars, Takashi Shimura and Toshiro Mifune but it would be unjust to single out particular performances. All of the actors display utmost sincerity in portraying their respective characters and turn in memorable performances. The ace camerawork combined with some brilliant direction from Akira Kurosawa make this film an unforgettable experience. In spite of the film being made in the 50s the battle sequences are simply breathtaking and far superior in quality compared to films in the later decades. "Seven Samurai" is one of those rare films, which while watching, you simply forget that it is a foreign language film. You quickly become comfortable with reading the subtitles as the picture itself is so engrossing, and you instantly relate to the characters. You really don't care that you don't understand the language. At the end of those 200 odd minutes of the film, you know that you have just seen something magnificent and larger than life! 10/10.

• Keiko A

  
  So i have Just watched Seven Samurai agine and it is one of the best movies Japan has ever made. This isn't the only Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece. The premise: in chaotic 16th century Japan, as marauders threaten raid villages, one village hires samurai to defend it from… More
  So i have Just watched Seven Samurai agine and it is one of the best movies Japan has ever made. This isn't the only Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece. The premise: in chaotic 16th century Japan, as marauders threaten raid villages, one village hires samurai to defend it from a group of bandits. Yet Kurosawa developed these characters in a way unheard of for what might pass as an epic action film. To its astonishing credit, through all of its 207 minutes running time, Seven Samurai never falters or bores. And if the script is a marvel in itself, the acting and production design than derive from it are nothing short of superlative. It is said that Kurosawa forced the villagers to live together as a community during production and be their characters, each and every one of which he had drawn out specifically. This unusual technique gave Seven Samurai a feel of authenticity unparalleled in film history. The samurai themselves are so richly given life to in the screenplay that little more would have been needed to make them memorable characters, yet the main cast pay off at every turn, and though every one of the seven main actors give in perfect performances, two immortal roles have a particularly resounding effect: Takashi Shimura, who plays the leader of the ragged band of samurai, gives his sage and venerable warrior a god-like intensity that makes the magnetic charisma of his character unquestionable. One of the easiest leaders to root for in all the history of film-making. Stealing the show however, albeit by a very thin margin, is longtime Kurosawa favorite coworker Toshiro Mifune as the rogue seventh, the black sheep of the herd, giving the bravura ultimate performance of a lifetime paved throughout with great roles. The story follows them and the villagers, equally nuanced and developed, through their encounter, training, eventual bonding and the big inevitable fight for survival. Unlike subsequent very successful remakes, seven Samurai transcended excellency by having many layers and thus being very real and human. Even without the menace, its interpersonal dynamics would have made it perfect human drama, subtle, balancing comedy, intensity, realism, drama and a deep philosophy with astonishing ease, yet the menace does materialize and thus Seven Samurai unleashes its violence in a series of action scenes crafted with such vision and ingenuity as has ever reached an action film. In the end, what made this into solid gold was, at the core, Akira Kurosawa, who would, despite directing many further masterpieces (Throne of Blood, Yojimbo, Red Beard, Dersu Uzala, Kagemusha, Ran), would never top this one. Throughout his life, Kurosawa kept confirming his status as perhaps the greatest director ever. If so, Seven Samurai is the ultimate proof of that truth. Keiko's Score 100%

• Richard C

  
  i thought it was really boring and way too long. i just don't see what's so great about the movie. it's not a bad movie but I just couldn't get into the movie. I really tried to like it but I just didn't that much. it did have good parts to it though. C

• Nelson P

  
  Arguably the greatest war epic ever made, and without a doubt one of the greatest movies of all time. Kurosawa's 1954 film is a veritable textbook on how to shoot, cut, frame and present violence on screen. It's clearly one of the most influential films ever made, and… More
  Arguably the greatest war epic ever made, and without a doubt one of the greatest movies of all time. Kurosawa's 1954 film is a veritable textbook on how to shoot, cut, frame and present violence on screen. It's clearly one of the most influential films ever made, and remains awe-inspiring even today.

• El Hombre I

  
  A well crafted and emotionally engaging film. Kurosawa's approach not only focuses on drawing our sympathy toward the villagers, but we feel the same for the samurai for their compassion and bravery. We also get a real sense of 16th century Japanese society. Each group,… More
  A well crafted and emotionally engaging film. Kurosawa's approach not only focuses on drawing our sympathy toward the villagers, but we feel the same for the samurai for their compassion and bravery. We also get a real sense of 16th century Japanese society. Each group, including the bandits, have their own theme music. The interactions between villagers and samurai are frequently awkward, each group having its' reasons not to trust the other. Over 3 hours long, it never drags and even leaves me wanting more each time I see it. This is a film of great drama and humanity which demands your attention and should gain your appreciation. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view&current=sevensamurai.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/sevensamurai.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

• Conner R

  
  Seven Samurai is a masterpiece, there's no doubt about it. While it's not necessarily my favorite film by Akira Kurosawa, it is definitely his most powerful work. Toshiro Mifune steals the entire movie, Kikuchiyo is a character that no one can forget. He has a great deal of… More
  Seven Samurai is a masterpiece, there's no doubt about it. While it's not necessarily my favorite film by Akira Kurosawa, it is definitely his most powerful work. Toshiro Mifune steals the entire movie, Kikuchiyo is a character that no one can forget. He has a great deal of character development and has the most investment in the battle. The conclusion of his life is nothing short of heroic. The style Kurosawa brings to this, like all of his films, is outstanding. Everything is extremely well planned and precise. The look of the film is utterly beautiful, the final battle is perfectly dark and tragic. There is an incredible sense of imagery that cannot be forgotten as well. I think it's a movie that everyone should sit down and see at least once. It is truly an epic, clocking in at 3 1/2 hours, but it goes by so fast that you don't even notice it.

• Phil H

  
  I was surprised how long this film was haha I must admit I found it good in places yet abit dull in others. There is much talking and planning before the actual showdown which is obviously needed but I found it slowed the whole thing down in places to be honest but the whole Japanese… More
  I was surprised how long this film was haha I must admit I found it good in places yet abit dull in others. There is much talking and planning before the actual showdown which is obviously needed but I found it slowed the whole thing down in places to be honest but the whole Japanese experience keeps you intrigued and interested. The reason for the length of course is to examine every character, their story and the gradual progression and bonding with the villagers, its a rewarding film but you gotta have patience :) Personally I love the recruitment of the samurai and the many different characters you see, the training of the villagers and sparring between the samurai is also brilliantly done. There is never any blood or gore and hardly any rousing musical scores, mainly just simple Japanese style tunes which make it so much better, but the look is one of the best aspects of the film despite being leagues away from modern films. Everything looks so perfect from the village to the landscapes but I like the outfits the best, each samurai looks so authentic and tells a story for each man in the detail and that includes the bandits who also look great, especially the bandit leader, I love the visuals here. I'm not gonna speak of the plot as I'm sure everyone knows about it and the many many films that have taken the plot over the years 'cough' Sergio 'cough' Leone 'cough' ;) Its a slow burning story but probably one of the best developed and explored stories committed to film.

• Chris W

  
  This film is, without a doubt, an epic classic if there ever was one. The performances are spectacular, especially from the always relaible scene stealer Toshiro Mifune. I loved that, even though this film was long, there was a lot to it besides fighting and battles. In fact, fighting… More
  This film is, without a doubt, an epic classic if there ever was one. The performances are spectacular, especially from the always relaible scene stealer Toshiro Mifune. I loved that, even though this film was long, there was a lot to it besides fighting and battles. In fact, fighting and battles make up very little of what's offered here, with the bulk of the running time devoted to character development, story, and historic social/class commentary. This is one of the greatest and most influential films of all time, and I'm glad I finally got around to seeing it. I saw so much in this film that nfluenced others (with The Magnificent Seven being the most obvious example). This is a beautiful and amazing movie. I still have a few more of his films to see, but Akira Kurosawa is quickly becoming a film maker I totally love and respect.

• Anthony L

  
  One of the greatest films ever made. It's not my favourite Kurosawa film though! It annoys me that this film still hasn't received the credit it deserves, it really is a pivotal moment in the history of cinema. This is film at it's very best!

• Cassandra M

  
  Well, if you haven't seen Seven Samurai then you're not really qualified to call yourself a film fan, basically. One of the most influential movies of all time, that still holds up extremely well nearly 50 years later. Akira Kurosawa's epic tale of heroism and barbarism… More
  Well, if you haven't seen Seven Samurai then you're not really qualified to call yourself a film fan, basically. One of the most influential movies of all time, that still holds up extremely well nearly 50 years later. Akira Kurosawa's epic tale of heroism and barbarism set the standard in so many ways it's hard to imagine that any modern film does not show its influence in some way or other. A great script, great characters, mostly great acting, splendid cinematography and action sequences that wrote the book about how these things should be filmed. Even now, after so many have tried to imitate or beat it, Seven Samurai remains a totally gripping 3.5 hour experience. Akira Kurosawa is one of the gods of Cinema - men who seem to have been born to make films, who have it in their blood. People like Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, King Hu and Steven Spielberg, who make it look easy... who so obviously "get it". In this pantheon, Kurosawa is perhaps the daddy of them all, however, and Seven Samurai is one of his finest moments. The scale of the production is remarkable - to undertake making such an epic in post-war Japan was a feat in itself. The cast of dozens of inhabitants of a village specially built for the movie, the 40 bandits and their horses, all the costumes, the armour, the weapons. Few directors could have brought all of this together and still paid such attention to the smallest of details in script and scene. Credit must go to the team Kurosawa worked with too, I presume The movie's setup became the template for many movies to follow, the most recentl example that comes to mind being the excellent Korean period movie MUSA (The Warrior), for example. A motley band of characters is assembled and placed in a situation where the odds are seemingly stacked against them, and each gets there chance to really shine, prove themselves and become something more than a normal man. Kurosawa's Samurai movies all share a little bit in common, which is the depiction of the Samurai as some noble beast, different from the common and pathetic rabble of ordinary man. In Seven Samurai the farmers are a base lot, cowardly, selfish, vain, pathetic and treacherous. How he found actors with such miserable looking faces is a mystery in itself. In contrast, the Samurai embody all the qualities that humanity would generally like to believe define it (us). Brave, righteous, honest, strong and heroic. Toshiro Mifune's character stands in the middle and represents this difference - perhaps meant to suggest that mankind can strive to rise above his flaws, but mostly suggesting to me that the common man is basically a mess and we should learn to respect our betters. Kurosawa was definitely not a socialist, unless I'm mis-reading him wildly. I'm sure many out there wonder, does a 50 year old black and white movie about Samurai really have any interest or relevance to us in the 21st century? The answer is a definite "Yes!". Seven Samurai shows us what cinema can be, what cinema is *meant* to be. It is moving picture as art in a way that the multiplex-fillers of today cannot possibly claim to be. It's a film that satisfies on many different levels, and still provides a bench mark which today's film makers could and should use to evaluate their own contributions. True, few out there will ever be able to claim they've made a film that rivals Seven Samurai in scope or beauty, but this *is* what every director should aspire to! The sad thing is, I just can't see a project like this ever coming out of the Hollywood studio system, where art is just another commodity and marketing is the new god

• Saskia D

  
  Saw it for the second time, and although it's long (and a little slow at times), boy oh boy: it's a joy to watch!!! The first Kurosawa movie I ever saw, the first Samurai movie I ever saw. This is when I met Toshiro Mifune and fell in love.. <div… More
  Saw it for the second time, and although it's long (and a little slow at times), boy oh boy: it's a joy to watch!!! The first Kurosawa movie I ever saw, the first Samurai movie I ever saw. This is when I met Toshiro Mifune and fell in love.. <div style="width:500px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/actor/toshiro-mifune/photos?p=6002223"><img src="http://content9.flixster.com/photo/60/02/22/6002223_gal.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com">

• Tsubaki S

  
  Anyone who doesn't, at least, respect this film just fails at life. Stop watching movies right now and devote your time to a more fit hobbie, like throwing used light bulbs behind dumpsters and such.

• xGary X

  
  A rural village in feudal Japan decides to fight back against the bandits who have been raiding them by hiring samurai from a nearby town. One of the many remarkable things about Akira Kurosawa's astonishing historical epic is the fact that at nearly 3 and a half hours it never… More
  A rural village in feudal Japan decides to fight back against the bandits who have been raiding them by hiring samurai from a nearby town. One of the many remarkable things about Akira Kurosawa's astonishing historical epic is the fact that at nearly 3 and a half hours it never drags for a single second of it's length. Not one bit. That fact alone is testament to Kurosawa's incredible skill as both writer and director. The balance of artful visuals and narrative is perfect, and every character is fascinating and perfectly played, especially Toshiro Mifune's gleeful and almost feral glory hound and Takashi Shimura's good hearted but wily Ronin. And if, like me, you still wanted more after it's not inconsiderable running time, it's Hollywood remake, The Magnificent Seven is a damn fine film in it's own right. One of the pinnacles of world cinema.

• Aaron N

  
  Shichiroji: Kikuchiyo, what on earth are you doing? Kikuchiyo: I can't kill a lot with one sword! The Seven Samurai: Sleepy, Sneezy, Dopey, Bashful, Grumpy, Doc, and Decoy Octopus. Really the best way to keep track. While watching this movie again, I was talking to a friend… More
  Shichiroji: Kikuchiyo, what on earth are you doing? Kikuchiyo: I can't kill a lot with one sword! The Seven Samurai: Sleepy, Sneezy, Dopey, Bashful, Grumpy, Doc, and Decoy Octopus. Really the best way to keep track. While watching this movie again, I was talking to a friend of mine during the intermission. He told me how he loved how entertaining this movie is and I replied by stating how easy it is to understand and it certainly stands up through time. There is a reason why this movie remains in the IMDBs top ten movies of all time, it is a great movie, with a great story, strong developed characters, wonderful visuals, well handled authenticity, some awesome battle scenes, and an ending message that is not necessarily going to be foreseen. This epic from Akira Kurosawa deserves to be called a masterpiece. This was the first of what could be called a standard action movie, containing a number of very familiar elements for todays motion pictures, including the idea of assembling a group to achieve an objective and the concept of reluctant heroes to name a few. Gisaku: Find hungry samurai. The story sounds a small Japanese village that is attacked by bandits and raided for its crops frequently. The villagers decide that the best course of action would be to hire some samurai to fend off the bandits. Some of the farmers then travel into town, where they eventually find several masterless samurai who agree to aid them in their time of need. The story then turns to a period of creating a plan for how to fight against the bandits using the town people's limited experience and the environment they have to work with. Followed by the battle filled finale, where the farmers and the samurai take on the bandits. During this story, we learn about the different samurai, the farmers, the life in the village, and the life of a samurai. We are also treated to great shots throughout. Among some of the iconic shots throughout this movie, the final battle in the rain easily remains one of the greatest grand battle scenes filmed. It's a long movie, and so of course, for today's standards with the gen-X style editing, where so few have the tolerance to sit watch, but those who do can become immersed in age old style storytelling. Would I myself be able to watch this again and again in short periods of time, probably not, but that doesn't mean anything. This is a great example of excellent film making, that is still meaningful and exciting to watch. Gisaku: What's the use of worrying about your beard when your head's about to be taken?

• danny d

  
  i just watched this movie for the second time and it was worth reviewing again. masterpiece. considered one of the 20 greatest movies of all time by most critics, and considered the greatest samurai film ever, this movie lives up to all of its hype. this film just furthers the… More
  i just watched this movie for the second time and it was worth reviewing again. masterpiece. considered one of the 20 greatest movies of all time by most critics, and considered the greatest samurai film ever, this movie lives up to all of its hype. this film just furthers the lengends of kurosawa who did an amazing job making this film, as well as mifune and shimura for their brilliant acting performances. the whole film all i kept thinking was "wow this movie is amazing, perfect in every way." there are actually 2 other kurosawa films i like more, but that doesnt take away from this film, it just proves that kurosawa was a genius. what a fantastic film.

• Lanning :

  
  If you've seen the American adaptation of this film and liked it -- <i>The Magnificent Seven</i> with Yul Brynner, McQueen, Bronson, et al. -- then you must see this original. It's fascinating to see how close the adaptation is, yet Kurosawa's original is… More
  If you've seen the American adaptation of this film and liked it -- <i>The Magnificent Seven</i> with Yul Brynner, McQueen, Bronson, et al. -- then you must see this original. It's fascinating to see how close the adaptation is, yet Kurosawa's original is far more nuanced in its characters' development and motivation. Mifune's magnetic personality seems to dominate the screen, however the acting performances are excellent all around. This is a truly great samurai saga.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings