Review of Seven Samurai (1954) by Ida T — 17 Nov 2010

5: It amazes me every time how short the film seems relative to its actual length; it is just so damn entertaining. I can think of few films like it in this sense. The first act simply rushes by at over 60 minutes, as do the next two of course.

It is essentially structurally perfect. The characters and performances are incredibly memorable, Shimura in particular. The story is straightforward and simple yet as compelling as it gets. The music is superb and simply melts into the background imperceptibly, as it should.

The weather effects are key to the mood and atmosphere. The locations are wonderful and incredibly well defined. Kurosawa was a master at conveying the geography of a place. I fully understand exactly where each scene is shot and how the locations lie in relation to one another, just as in Yojimbo and others.

This is a key element of the films effectiveness as it serves to draw one more fully into this world. It simply seems to get more entertaining, more memorable, more timeless, more classic, and more poignant with each and every viewing.

It is one of the greatest westerns, samurai pictures, or epics, depending on how one wishes to classify it. I'm pretty sure it is my favorite Kurosawa film, but he manages to make a few other decent films as well.

The battle sequences and the staging is amazing. It's the kind of classic film that helps define what is possible in the cinema and against which all other films are measured. Most invariably come up very short.