Guide Note

Seven Samurai is a 1954 Japanese action-drama film directed by Akira Kurosawa

Fast Facts

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Producer: Sojoiro Motoki
Writers: Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
Starring: Takashi Shimura, Toshiro Mifune
Released: April 26, 1954 (Japan), November 19, 1956 (U.S.)
Runtime: 207 min
Budget: $500,000
The first of many collaborations between Kurosawa and Mifune
Film was set in 1586

Plot

A mountain village threatened by an army of bandits seeks the protection of masterless samurai. Seven come to its aide, and with its barley crop harvesting in a few weeks, there is not much time to prepare.

After squaring away their own individual differences, the samurai fortify the village and its people, and plan a meticulous strategy to take on the bandits. In an epic, intense battle, four of the seven are killed, but the villagers win in the end.

Legacy

Seven Samurai is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, with a perfect 100% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Critics praise its well-captured action sequences and narrative form, which started a genre that is still seen in movies to this day. The Magnificent Seven, Ocean's Eleven, The Dirty Dozen, Three Amigos and many other ensemble films have borrowed from Seven Samurai.

The film also marked one of only a handful of Kurosawa films that were well-received in both the West and in his home country.

Categories

Entertainment | Movies | Classic Films (Pre-1960) | Foreign Language Films

View Note History

Seven Samurai

Also try: Akira Kurosawa | Throne of Blood | Rhapsody in August | Seven Samurai Remake

The Mahalo Top 7

Criterion Collection/Janus Films: Seven Samurai
IMDb: Cast, Crew & Film Facts
Wikipedia: Seven Samurai
Rotten Tomatoes: Seven Samurai Reviews
Amazon: Criterion Collection 3-Disc Remastered Edition
RogerEbert.com: Seven Samurai Review
YouTube Video: Seven Samurai Trailer (Time: 2:43)

Seven Samurai DVDs and Merchandise

Amazon.com: DVDs, Soundtrack & Books
eBay: Miscellaneous Memorabilia
MovieGoods: Posters
Art.com: Framed Posters
MoviePoster.com: Original Polish Poster

Seven Samurai Photos

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Seven Samurai Videos

Searches

YouTube & Google Video Search: Seven Samurai
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Videos

Google Video: Original Theatrical Trailer
YouTube: Original Theatrical Trailer 2
YouTube: The Final Fight
YouTube: Seven Samurai (Fan Film)
YouTube: Seven Samurai - Promentory (Fan Film)
YouTube: Seven Samurai Rejects & Seven Samurai Rejects 2
YouTube: Seven Samurai/War Pigs Mashup

Seven Samurai Reviews and Articles

Film Reviews

Rotten Tomatoes: Critic Reviews
Metacritic: Critic Reviews
RogerEbert.com: Critic Review
Yahoo! Movies: Fan Reviews
Wild Realm Review: Fan Review
The Kerala Articles: Fan Review
Movie Review Query Engine: Various Reviews

3-Disc Criterion DVD

DVD Beaver: Review
DVD Verdict: Review
DVD File: Review

Articles

CNN: How 'Seven Samurai' was saved
Film Reference: Comprehensive List of Books & Articles
TheHoya.com: It’s All About The Cinematography In 1954’s Classic ‘Seven Samurai'
The Japan Times: Reassessing Kurosawa's neglected masterpiece

Seven Samurai Essays

Criterion: A Time of Honor: Seven Samurai and Sixteenth-Century Japan by Philip Kemp
Criterion: The Hours and Times: Kurosawa and the Art of Epic Storytelling by Kenneth Turan
Criterion: Kurosawa's Early Influences by Peggy Chiao
Sense Of Cinema: Story Analysis
Bright Lights Film Journal: Story Analysis
CriticalCulture: Shot Analysis

Seven Samurai Fan Sites, Blogs and Message Boards

Related Searches

Akira Kurosawa | Sanjuro | Ran | Yojimbo | The Hidden Fortress | Learning Japanese with Akira Kurosawa | Yojimbo | Rhapsody in August | Hidden Fortress | Seven Samurai Remake

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