The Seven Samurai (1954) Essay

It is impossible to make a list of the most celebrated classic movies without having The Seven Samurai (1954) in it. The film is about seven samurai warriors who were without a master. The plot depicts a battle between Japanese traditions and modernization. The samurai warriors go to a village where they are hired for protection against bandits. It is notable that the villagers and the warriors belonged to different social classes and were not supposed to interact. It is for this reason that there is still fear among the villagers as they believe that the warriors may be up to no good. One of the most significant characters among the samurai is Kikuchiyo. This is because of his attitude of showing off and the fact that he represents a theme of love in the film. He falls in love with a farmer's daughter which was forbidden for people of two diverse classes to marry.

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The story told by The Seven Samurai is that of social status and conflict. The samurai warriors offer a solution of protecting the villagers at the price of being assured a meal daily. The plot shows that no one can run from their history as Kikuchiyo was the son of a farmer. He had defied all odds to become a Samurai, but he ends up with the daughter of a farmer as the love of his life. The main cast consists of reputable actors such as Takai Shimura who plays Kambei, the group leader. Kikuchiyo is played by Toshiro Mifune and is the most humorous and entertaining character. The leader of the bandits is Shinpei Takagi and is the main protagonist of the film. The choice of the styles was based on the roles previously played by the actors in other movies. Each character has an identifying trait. For instance, Kambei is a well-respected man and even passes himself as a priest to save one of the people who was captured by bandits. Kikuchiyo, on the other hand, is irrational and temperamental.

The movie is written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The setting of the movie is in the sixteenth century. To ensure the quality of the film, a set had to be constructed in a different place from the typical Toho Studios premises. The approach was costly but in the end, ensuring that the picture was realistic. Filming was then done in a well-choreographed manner and making use of three cameras whose shots were to be edited later. Kurosawa had the habit of picking the best scenes, and the cameras were positioned at an elevated position and the camera made to follow the action. Kurosawa cited his challenges as the weather and shortage of horses, but upon watching it, it is barely noticeable. The rehearsal of the action scenes and horse-riding is perfect and looks very realistic. The movie must have been shot at favorable times considering that at that time, the lighting devices used were not as good as currently.

Conclusion

In my opinion, the movie is good because of its storytelling. The scenes move quickly and blend in perfectly to show the various plots without loss of plot. From start to finish, the movie is thrilling due to action scenes and the desire to know what happens next. The film is 3 hours and twenty-seven minutes long and divided into two parts. The intermission was a common trend in classical movies. The long run time implies that most scenes appeared in the film and the director did not have to cut most of the shots. The entertainment is resonant to every member of the society because it appeals to various genres. It is needless to say that with the incorporation of classism, heroism, romance, and action, the movie suits various tastes. The Seven Samurai is a classic that will be of relevance for a long time, and it is no wonder that it has a high rating.