SEVEN SAMURAI = phenomenal movie / SAMURAIS > NINJAS

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bileanddecay

CAGiversary!
It is certainly worth the $30 I threw down for the DVD. Absolutely amazing movie. Timeless, really.

Plus, it makes me appreciate samurais so much more than ninjas.
 
Even without having played the game, I would agree just from the screens and design work involved.

Seriously, has anyone else seen this movie?
 
I haven't seen Seven Samurais yet but I have seen Akira Kurosawa's other movies and wasn't terribly impressed.
 
yes. many times and i am a better man for it. if we all acted like samurais, the world woudl be a better place. also check out, yojimbo and the pseudo sequel, sanjuro also directed by kirusowa and starring Toshjiro Mifune, the sort of crazy rough edged samurai. they offer both films in a pack called " four samurai classics" : Yojimbo, sanjuro, seven samurai and hidden fortress (where GEORGE LUCAS got the premise for star wars from) for 64.96. all criterion edition worth at least 30 bucks each seperately, so you get it for half the price. retails for 100
 
[quote name='EddieBelfour'](where spielberg got the premise for star wars from)[/quote]

You mean George Lucas.
 
[quote name='EddieBelfour']if we all acted like samurais, the world woudl be a better place. [/quote]
Samurais were professional soldiers and elitists who dominated the Japanese peasant class for over two hundred years. The world we be a better place if you didn't believe in democracy.
 
Seven Samurai is indeed an amazing film. dcfox, what Kurosawa films have you seen? I'm amazed you could not be impressed at all. To each his own, I suppose, but man, I love me some Kurosawa. With Seven Samurai, Yojimbo and Hidden Fortress I find it hard not to like him. Besides, it's always worth it to watch Toshiro Mifune. Even without understanding japanese, it is easy to tell he's a phenomenal actor.
 
who said i beleived in democracy? being honorable and following the code is a direct way of being good peoples. this all coming from a dude who isnt impressed by one of the top five film makers of all time.


other great films by kurosawa

high and low

drunken angel

(mifune)
 
I've seen Roshamon, Yojimbo and Ran. He is bad no means a bad director its just that I heard so much about him before I saw any of his films. So I just might be another victim of hype.

Another thing about Samurais is that along with the honor is the blind devotion to a shogun or emperor. Its this mentality that led to the Japanese aggression in WWII. Personally, while honor is a good thing, I'd rather balance it out with the ability to think for myself and the belief in equality among people.
 
For a 50 year old flick, it certainly holds up very well.

And it covers so many universal themes: honor, pride, prejudice, selfishness, greed, righteousness, compassion, and respect just to name a few off the top.

And it has influenced so many other movies, most notable The Magnificent Seven, which, from what I understand, is just a western-themed remake of Seven Samurai.

The first scene with the mounted bandits riding over the mountain, I recognize from Ninja Scroll.

The character of Kyuro, I feel, was the inspiration for Street Fighter's Ryu, with his only desire of perfecting his art.

And when was High Noon made? It seems to the be the polar opposite and antithesis (in regards to the main scenario) to Seven Samurai, but I'm not sure if it was made prior to or after Seven Samurai.
 
[quote name='dcfox']Samurais were professional soldiers and elitists who dominated the Japanese peasant class for over two hundred years. The world we be a better place if you didn't believe in democracy.[/quote]

Yes they were, but the film emphasizes the importance of time & setting. In times of conflict, soldiers wield death while farmers/civilians scramble for their lives. In times of peace, the powerful samurai are suddenly un-needed veterans surrounded by the graves of their comrades, while farmers celebrate and dance. I don't think Kurosawa's film blindly idolizes samurais as romantic figures. It just shows that they *are* impressive...in their time.

As an aside, I would certainly recommend Kurosawa fans who might've missed it to check out Dreams. This film, Ran, and the Seven Samurai are my favorites among his works.
 
Seven Samurai does pwn, and I am most of the way through Ran. both are just incredible movies. if you like samurai movies, see "The Last Samurai". It is easily one of the best movies I've ever seen.
 
Kurosawa's movies are great. If there's a problem with watching his films today, its that so many directors and filmmakers have been influenced by his (at the time) pioneering style to the point where it is everywhere. Much like Hitchcock or Kubrick, he is acknowledged as one of the world's greatest filmmakers ever.

I need to see more of his movies. Seven Samurai is a great movie. If you want to see a funny take on it, see the pilot (aka first 3 episodes) of Samurai Jack.
 
16th century Japan.

As a side note, the more and more I think about the movie, the more impressive I think Toshiro Mifune's performance was for that era in acting.
 
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