Seven Samurai - 3 Disc Remastered Edition (Criterion Collection Spine # 2)
by Akira Kurosawa
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Actor: Minoru Chiaki, Seiji Miyaguchi, Takashi Shimura, Toshir? Mifune, Yoshio InabaDirector: Akira Kurosawa
Brand: Image Entertainment
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: Japanese (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Subtitled)
Format: Black & White, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 207 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-09-05
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Criterion
DVD Reviews of Seven Samurai - 3 Disc Remastered Edition (Criterion Collection Spine # 2)
DVD Review: One of the greats...
Summary: 5 Stars
A cinematic giant, now on DVD.
Probably the best movie to ever come from the east, and the basis for some of the great American westerns.
DVD Review: Criterion quality just enhances this great film
Summary: 5 Stars
Having first viewed this film in a theatre over 30 years ago (a Japanese film festival no less... so they had an "original", not export version), it is still up there in my top 10.
I really do not want to duplicate other praise for this MasterWork - Bernabo's review covers it so well.
However it is worth noting that if you needed any other reason to buy this film, it is the Criterion label.
In Australia at least, Laser Disc was a rarity - mostly caused by the unrelenting greed of the Studios - who would not import them for sale or rental - but attacked any video shop that tried to, with legal injunctions et al.
Suffice to say I was convinced by the owner of my local video hire, a collector of note and sagacity, to buy this title as a laser disc as it was a Criterion re-master - and the first "commercial" version of the full 3+ hour release.
I am guessing this is the base material that went to the DVD issue.
At any rate, it was a superb result - my only regret it was not put on a blu-ray disc (really only for the convenience...)but that is just being picky :-)
DVD Review: Eyeing another sacred cow qith my kebab skewers ready...
Summary: 4 Stars
The Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa, 1954)
It is no secret among those who follow my reviews that I tend to disagree with a lot of both critical and public choices for the best movies ever made. The Seven Samurai is currently ranked at #18 on IMDB's Top 250 list, and only two thousand-best lists I've ever seen have a Japanese film ranked higher on their lists than this one (the Halliwell Guide not only has a Japanese film higher--it ranks Ozu's Tokyo Monogatari as the finest movie ever made--while on IMDB's list, Spirited Away occasionally supplants it for a short time). And as you can probably guess form the opening, I disagree. While I understanding the reasoning behind the reverence--The Seven Samurai is, after all, the first modern action film, and is just as innovative as Nosferatu had been thirty years earlier--it's not really all that memorable when it comes to anything but its technical innovations. (It's also possible I just don't cotton to Akira Kurosawa's movies; the only one I've seen to date that's stuck with me for more than a few weeks is Dersu Uzala.)
Simple plot: a village is under siege by bandits, and the elders decide to hire out-of-work samurai to guard them. They get a mix ranging from the stern, masterful warrior to the illiterate samurai wannabe who's not afraid to break any rules necessary to make sure the job gets done (Throne of Blood's Yoshio Inaba and Kurosawa regular Toshiro Mifune, respectively). Much of the film focuses on the samurai's preparations for the village, the day-to-day lives of the villagers and the samurai, weaving in understated humor and pathos with the drama before the explosive action sequences.
Of course it's been influential; I can't think of a major action film made afterwards that doesn't co-opt one or more aspects from this movie. But just because it's influential doesn't mean it's immortal; one of the things about influential movies is that when so many people do what you did, some of them are bound to do it better. I don't think many people necessarily disagree with me on this; after all, one of the movies on IMDB ranked higher is The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, which ripped its structure straight from The Seven Samurai. (I have to say I wasn't that fond of that one, either, and probably for the same reason; glacial pace punctuated by action sequences that are entirely too short, especially given previous films like Alexander Nevsky that were much better paced). Still, while you're watching it, there's more than enough to compensate for the film's running time. I am not in any way saying that The Seven Samurai is a bad movie. It's a good movie, and it is without doubt one of the most influential films in history. But is it, from the standpoint of simply being a fun, watchable, perfectly-made film, one of the twenty best movies ever made? I think there are much, much better candidates for the title. *** ?
DVD Review: Still and Always a Wonderful Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I first saw Seven Samurai late at night on PBS when flipping through the channels as a teenager. The movie kept going and going, it was so long, but I was totally absorbed and before I knew it I had spent the whole night watching it and didn't go to bed until around 4am in the morning. Now I'm 37 years old and it remains one of my favorite movies. When Criterion released a DVD of the movie in 1998 I bought a copy right away.
I enjoyed watching the movie once again, and got the added benefit of Japanese film expert Michael Jeck's excellent commentary. After reading the reviews about the higher video quality of this new Criterion release, I bought the new DVD as well and have enjoyed watching it on my 50 inch plasma. It's worth every penny to have the best copy of this great movie.
The one thing that puzzles me though is the different subtitles on the new release. Michael Jeck's commentary on the 1998 release was partly based around the subtitles. For example, in the part when three of the Samurai go and set the bandits' fort on fire and cut down the bandits as they come running out, afterwards one of the Samurai tells Kikuchiyo "Well done" because he came up with the idea. Mr. Jeck points out that this is actually the moment when Kikuchiyo is accepted and becomes a full fledged member of the Seven Samurai. On the new release, according to the subtitles, the Samurai simply says "We did it." What was the point of changing the subtitles like that? Still, Seven Samurai is a timeless classic.
DVD Review: "Japan's Towering Achievement"
Summary: 5 Stars
This film arguably Kurosawa's greatest film. This particular version allows us to see his masterpiece in unprecedented clarity. The new translation provides the audience a greater emotional understanding of the plot.
The humor and action are timeless entertainment. I was honestly expecting to become bored given the extremely lengthy presentation, but not a scene is wasted. It tells a fairly simple story but develops each character meticulously. You will remember scenes from this movie for weeks to come and will be compelled to watch it again and again.
The documentaries are excellent additions. One provides information about early Japanese films and the other gives us an entertaining glimpse into what it was like to shoot Seven Samurai. There is a very dull interview with Kurosawa that should be skipped by all except the most avid of Kurosawa fans.
I also feel bizarrely inclined to mention the beautiful packaging. The fold-out DVD box is adorned with iconic scenes from the film. The color scheme is pleasant. The booklet that comes with it also looks very artsy. It comes with information to teach us about the creators of the film and essays from various movie buffs to provide different perspectives about the importance of the film.
All in all, a fantastic package that should not be missed by anyone who considers themselves a movie fan. As trailers of the movie gloated without restraint, it might be "Japan's Towering Achievement" in film. 5/5
Description of Seven Samurai - 3 Disc Remastered Edition (Criterion Collection Spine # 2)
Studio: Image Entertainment Release Date: 09/05/2006Hailed as the greatest film in the history of Japanese cinema, Seven Samurai is director Akira Kurosawa's undisputed masterpiece. Arguably the greatest of all jidai-gecki (or historical swordplay films), Kurosawa's classic 1954 action drama has never been surpassed in terms of sheer power of emotion, kinetic energy, and dynamic character development. The story is set during the civil unrest of 16th-century Japan, as the cowering residents of a small farming village are seeking protection against seasonal attacks by a band of marauding bandits. Offering mere handfuls of rice as payment, they hire seven unemployed "ronin" (masterless samurai), including a boastful swordsman (Toshiro Mifune) who is actually a peasant farmer's son, desperately seeking glory, acceptance, and revenge against those who destroyed his family. Led by the calmly strategic Kambei (Takashi Shimura, star of Kurosawa's previous classic, Ikiru), the samurai form mutual bonds of honor and respect, but remain distant from the villagers, knowing that their assignment may prove to be fatal.
Kurosawa masterfully composed his shots to emphasize these group dynamics, and Seven Samurai is a textbook study of the director's signature techniques, including extensive use of telephoto lenses to compress action, delineate character relationships, and intensify motion. While the climactic battle against raiding thieves remains one of the most breathtaking sequences ever filmed, Seven Samurai is most triumphant as a peerless example of character development, requiring all of its 2-hour, 37-minute running time to illuminate every essential detail of villagers and samurai alike, including an abundance of humor as Kambei's defense plan unfolds. In terms of its overall impact, Seven Samurai spawned dozens of copycat films (notably the American Western remake The Magnificent Seven) and cannot be adequately summarized by even the most comprehensive synopsis; it must be seen to be fully appreciated, and the Criterion Collection's 2006 DVD reissue is an essential addition to any definitive home-video library. --Jeff Shannon
On the DVDs
According to the accompanying booklet, "the picture has been slightly window-boxed (in correct original 1.33:1 aspect ratio) to ensure that the maximum image is visible on all monitors." The two-disc format was necessary "to maintain optimal image quality throughout the compression process," with dual-layered DVD-9's encoded "at the highest possible bit rate for the quantity of material included." The picture and sound quality are simply amazing compared to Criterion's one-disc release from 1998. The all-new, fully restored high-definition digital transfer takes full advantage of HD's clarity and crispness, resulting in picture detail far surpassing the previous DVD. This also applies to the soundtrack, presented in optional Dolby surround in addition to the remastered original mono track. The new transfer "was mastered in 2k resolution from a duplicate negative created with wetgate processing from the original fine-grain master positive" (the film's original negative is no longer available), and "several different digital hardware and software solutions were utilized for flicker, instability, dirt, scratch, and grain management."
The complete 207-minute film is accompanied by two full-length commentary tracks, including a new track combining the critical insights of film scholars David Desser, Joan Mellen, Stephen Price (author of The Warrior's Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa), Tony Rayns, and the dean of Japanese film experts, Donald Richie (author of The Films of Akira Kurosawa). Each scholar is given approximately 40 minutes of film-time, and their commentaries represent a unique opportunity to appreciate Seven Samurai from distinct yet complementary critical perspectives. The commentary by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck (from Criterion's original 1988 laserdisc release) remains useful as a thorough analysis of Seven Samurai, primarily in terms of visual composition.
The 50-minute "making of" documentary, from Japan's 2002 Toho Masterworks TV series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create emphasizes Kurosawa's collaboration with co-screenwriters Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni, including production footage, crewmember interviews, and a reverent visit to the rural inn where Seven Samurai was written over a six-week period of intense seclusion. The two-hour "My Life in Cinema" interview with Kurosawa was recorded in 1993, with fellow filmmaker Nagisa Oshima serving as a gentle admirer, colleague, and well-informed historian of Kurosawa's career. "Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences" is a richly informative documentary that places Kurosawa's classic in both historical and cinematic context, examining its place in the jidai-gecki (swordplay) genre, its accurate depiction of samurai codes and traditions, and its stature as the prototype for many films that followed. The lavishly illustrated 58-page booklet includes eight brief essays on various aspects of Seven Samurai, each written by noted film scholars or film directors (including Arthur Penn and Sidney Lumet). Also included is a reminiscence by the great actor Toshiro Mifune, excerpted from a conversation recorded in 1993. Taken as a whole, the remastered three-disc Seven Samurai ranks as one of the finest DVD sets ever released. --Jeff Shannon
Stills from Seven Samurai - 3 Disc Remastered Edition (Click for larger image)
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