"Seven Samurai", Akira Kurosawa, 1954 - Sparring Scene

Youtube ^ | 1/23/2018 | FilmStruck

[simpson96]

Seven Samurai is a 1954 Japanese epic samurai drama film co-written, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The story takes place in 1586 during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. It follows the story of a village of farmers that hire seven rōnin (masterless samurai) to combat bandits who will return after the harvest to steal their crops.

Since its release, Seven Samurai has consistently ranked highly in critics' lists of the greatest films. It was also voted the greatest foreign-language film in BBC's 2018 international critics' poll. It has remained highly influential, often seen as one of the most "remade, reworked, referenced" films in cinema.

SEVEN SAMURAI, Akira Kurosawa, 1954 - Sparring Scene

[blueunicorn6]

I saw the American musical version,

West Side Samurai

[chajin]

I saw “Ran” in the theater.

I always wanted to see the sequel, Also Ran...

[decal]

Kyuzo was always my favorite of the Seven.

And note the difference between Kambei and Katsushiro while this is going on - Kambei knows what the result will be while the kid has no clue.

[chajin]

I loved “Odetsu” (spelling?), a romantic ghost story.

Ugetsu, directed by Kenji Mizoguchi with Machiko Kyo as the ghost princess. For my yen, the best Japanese movie ever made; you can see it on HBO Max if you have it (I don't). https://www.criterion.com/films/369-ugetsu

[Retain Mike]

Thanks. My copy is in a storage unit.

[left that other site]

Ah! Ugetsu! Sorry for my blundering memory. (It’s been YEARS!)

But I sure did love that flick.

Thanks for the link! :-)

[OKSooner]

Star Wars was based on a samurai movie, wasn’t it?

Where two samurai were tasked with escorting a princess thru dangerous territory?

That’s a question.

[dsc]

Rashomon is nothing to sneeze at.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Well played…

[Michael.SF.]

One of the great lines in that movie.

Another was (and possibly one workable in your sermon): “I’ve been paid a lot of money for my work. Right now twenty dollars is a lot. ( said by the character portrayed by Charles Bronson)

[Oatka]

My favorite scene, one that I have watched at least a dozen times over the years. I marveled at the skilled swordsman Kyuzo, played by Seiji Miyaguchi, who appeared to be born with a sword in his hand. The stylized combat was pure poetry. Later on, you see him practicin, in the rain, while the others take shelter. A professional to the core.

The director made an ironic point in the final battle scene, when Kyuzo, at the top of his profession, is shot and killed by a simple peasant using a matchlock musket. (Damn technology)

I was dumbfounded when he was interviewed some years later and said he had never even touched a sword before this picture and had to take lessons. He was an apt student.

[mrsmith]

https://archive.org/details/seven-samurai
It’s there!

“The Hidden Fortress” is better IMHO.
https://archive.org/details/the-hidden-fortress

Only sub-titled movie I’ve watched to the end.

[FoxInSocks]

Yeah. The Hidden Fortress. Also a product of Kurosawa.

[teeman8r]

This scene was with a knife beating a drawn gun...

[PUGACHEV]

I believe the Seven Samurai as one of the five best movies of all time. Another less well known Kurosawa film staring Mifuni and Shimura belongs on that list as well. Stray Dog takes place in an oppressive heat wave in Tokyo in the year after the war ends. The heat is a metaphor for the dislocation at every strata of Japanese society during the occupation, and Mifuni and Shimura are an odd couple of paired police detectives searching for a serial killer. This film is the first of its genre, and the inspiration for all of the countless buddy cop movies made ever since.

[Retain Mike]

I have a memory that when he heard about the making of the movie he just had to be part of it and play that part. Evidently Seven Samurai was one of this all time favorites and that Samurai was his favorite character.

[william clark]

Hidden Fortress is a favorite of mine that was at least partially the inspiration for Star Wars. Also, his Throne of Blood is a samurai version of Macbeth.

[Retain Mike]

The choice of films to the right are great.