“Seven Samurai”, Akira Kurosawa’s film, can be called a real masterpiece. The famous film was screened for the first time on April 26, 1954. The plot revolved around the story of how 7 samurai defended peasants from bandits.
In the Middle Ages, Japan was pillaged by gangs of samurai left without their lords. One of such gangs often attacked one of the villages. Peasants realized that they simply would not survive because of the constant pillages. So, the villagers decided to hire defenders, they hired the same impoverished samurai.
The main characters are completely different. Experienced and wise Kambei leads the team that includes young Katsushiro, good-natured big guy Gorobei, taciturn and evil Kyuzo, old Shichiroji, witty Hayashida. A tramp with a fake samurai’s certificate, Kikuchiyo, also wormed his way into the gang.
Oddly enough, they all made a great team. Cheerful Gorobei supports everyone with his jokes, Kyuzo easily handles difficult challenges. Even gauche Kikuchiyo had something to do. Peasants, who were afraid of other samurai, immediately trusted him.
At first, the villagers seek help only from Kambei, but he realizes that he is not able to protect them alone. Kambei informs the villagers that there needs to be seven samurai to defeat the bandits. In most films, superheroes do everything alone. But Kurosawa shows real warriors who assess their powers and abilities in advance.
Even though the seven samurai are ready to bring the fight, the bandits have many advantages. There are 40 of them, they have armament and horses. The samurai try to teach the peasants military art, but it does not work. Then the samurai break the bridges and control the only way to the village. They also settle all villagers in neighboring houses so that it would be convenient to defend them.
After the first fight with the bandits, everyone understands that they are mostly cowardly and selfish people. They can only beat helpless peasants. And when the villagers resisted the bandits, some of them fled and others quarreled with each other.
Kyuzo intrudes into the bandits’ lair, steals a rifle and kills two pillagers. Kikuchiyo also wants to commit the heroic deed and leaves his post to go to the woods. As a result, the bandits attack the village and kill one samurai. Others understand that even brave actions require a deliberate approach so as not to cause dire consequences.
Akira Kurosawa, the film director, perfectly recreated medieval Japan. “7 Samurai” is a film where you can see working equipment, clothing, and everyday life thought out to the smallest detail. It accurately shows the appearance of the village and peasant houses from a historical perspective. The film perfectly combines action and historical genres. It also has the robust plot and behavior of each character which were perfectly played by Kurosawa’s favorite actors. And the main role was played by Toshiro Mifune, the most famous Japanese actor.
See also
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Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto
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Samurai Champloo
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Samurai Jack
"Samurai Jack" follows the journey of a young prince (voiced by Phil LaMarr) from a feudal Japanese kingdom. His father, the emperor of Japan (voiced by Sab Shimono as an elder and Keone Young as a younger man), received a magical katana from three gods—Ra, Rama, and Odin—which he used to defeat and imprison the demon Aku (voiced by Mako, and later by Greg Baldwin in Season 5). Eight years later, Aku escaped, conquered the land, and imprisoned the emperor. The prince's mother sent him away to train and return with the magic sword to defeat Aku. Upon his return, the now-samurai prince nearly defeats Aku, but the demon casts him into the distant future.
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Samurai Cat
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Samurai Assassin 1965
Based on a famous incident in Japanese history, Samurai Assassin presumes some historical knowledge from its audience, but don’t let that deter you. Most of the movie is fictional.
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Blue Eye Samurai
Set in 1600s Japan, the series stars Maya Erskine as a mixed-race samurai named Mizu, driven by a quest for bloody revenge. The show, titled Blue Eye Samurai, features breathtaking fight scenes and an all-star cast. One memorable sequence sees Mizu backed to the edge of a seaside cliff, surrounded by the Four Fangs, master swordsmen intent on her demise. Over an intense eight minutes, she transforms the precarious terrain into a battleground, defying physics as she dismantles her enemies. The scene culminates in a stunning visual with a death blow delivered against the backdrop of a crashing wave bathed in the red glow of sunset, resembling combat on the lip of a volcano.
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Red lion
The film by the Japanese director Kihachi Okamoto "Red Lion" was first seen by the audience in 1969. The plot of the picture takes place during a period of turbulent events in the history of Japan in 1866-67, which ended the Edo era and preceded the imperial restoration. Kihachi Okamoto's favorite features are the introduction of sudden plot twists and an unexpected ending. The film "Red Lion" was no exception in this sense. It begins as a set of comedic situations that take place with comical characters. But gradually the plot becomes more and more serious coloring and eventually ends in tragedy.
