Review of Seven Samurai (1954) by Amal H — 02 Feb 2011

The first time I got hold of a copy of shichinin no samurai, the one I managed to get was too pixilated, vague and toned down. I immediately abandoned the hope to watch even though many of my friend had told me that the best part of the movie was the storytelling telling and not its visuals. Fortunately, finally when I got to watch a good copy it was an uncut 3 1/2 hour long beautiful high contrast blue ray rip which proved otherwise. And I would suggest anyone who hasnâ(TM)t watched it yet to do the same. Seven samurai is a movie which excels with a tight script, and clever story telling no doubt , but it is also a very graphic movie which captures human behavior like no other.

The story revolves around a village farmers that hire seven masterless samurai to combat bandits who keep plundering their crops. Each of the seven samurai characters are carefully detailed and admirably enacted by a crew of very talented actors that each of them become familiar like our friends by the end of the movie. The plot is largely spent on the preparation for battle and the eventual confrontation of the group of bandits and it wouldnâ(TM)t be far from truth when I say seven samurai is an action movie. The fight sequences are very coherent and realistic thought no close depiction of blood or gore is shown in the movie. An image of the village is been established throughout the narrative by series of repeated shots which makes things easier to visualize the action sequences, the strategies that goes into the battle.

There is a very marked emphasis on the compositions, sets and editing. It is cinematic and sophisticated to an extend which is very unlike most of the movies of the 50s. There are numerous powerful, emotional set pieces with subtle, smooth use of calm background scoring which shows a large variation from the filmmaking styles of the time. The visuals showing each scene has a continuous flow rather than relying on numerous still images edited together to convey the idea.Not a moment or dialogue is wasted or left dull in this entire 210 minutes that all of it is indispensable part of the movie. And all of this so smartly edited that the movie gives us an experiences which leaves us oblivious of the sense of time.

"Seven Samurai" belongs those rare group of movies like "once upon a time in the west" which keeps all kinds of viewers engaged and entertained while never compromising the art and it is a movie which shouldnâ(TM)t be missed by filmbuffs. Absolutely a must watch!

My rating - 5/5 or more! :).