Review of Seven Samurai (1954) by A.j. S — 15 Aug 2010

The epic to end all epics comes with many rewards â?? seen in both its form and content â?? thanks to a proportionate original story and tremendously relatable characters. Everything comes through on a grand scale, while keeping a minimalist feel, and there is enough time to see that each character has his or her own, distinctive story.

Sometimes these stories are told in conversation, sometimes they are seen on the charactersâ?? faces and, in either case, each of the seven samurai makes the audience care for them. They cover all spectrums of human attitude from Takashi Shimuraâ??s wise, selfless warrior to Toshirô Mifuneâ??s bumbling, hapless wannabe along with every colorful samurai in between.

These individuals and village farmers who hire them do not grow on the viewer without some obvious painstaking efforts made by the screenwriters and director himself. The film clocks in at three and a half hours (the writing took place holed up in a hotel for six, straight weeks and filming spanned over a year), yet seems about half that due to the fair balance of appealing conversation and pressing action.

Getting past the literal entertaining aspects of â??Seven Samuraiâ??, the true engrossment comes from it being a quintessential humanist drama where people who need not care for others risk their lives for diminutive returns.

This message is as strong and coherent as the visuals are memorable and striking; the rain-soaked final battle is an edge of your seat beauty. Akira Kurosawaâ??s classic is a monumental achievement for cinema in regards to how it was produced and what it amounted to in the end product.