The Seven Samurai (1954)
Dir: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima
Summary
For nothing more than three meagre meals a day, seven ronin (masterless samurai) are hired by villagers to protect them from a bandit raid.
Synopsis
When villagers overhear that a gang of bandits plans to return and steal their crops at harvest time, the village elder suggests they hire samurai for protection—despite having only food to offer as payment.
The villagers approach the ageing ronin Kambei for help. After some initial hesitation, Kambei agrees and begins recruiting six more samurai. Among them are the inexperienced apprentice Katsushirō and Kikuchiyo, a volatile figure who carries a family scroll to prove he is a samurai. In truth, Kikuchiyo is a peasant from a village much like the one under threat. Initially rejected, he follows the group until he is eventually accepted.
Although the villagers are wary at first, trust gradually builds as the samurai and villagers train together. The samurai, in turn, confront the uncomfortable reality of how their kind have historically tormented such communities.
Together, the villagers and samurai face a final, harrowing series of battles against the bandits.
Review
The world knows this as the film that inspired the classic western The Magnificent Seven. While many of the scenes we love from The Magnificent Seven are faithfully lifted from Seven Samurai, make no mistake—these are two very different films. Seven Samurai is a much darker, more complex exploration of feudal Japan, its culture, and its rigid social hierarchy.
It’s hard to say whether coming to Seven Samurai after loving The Magnificent Seven for most of my life is an advantage or a disadvantage. I inevitably watched it with a comparative eye, noting mirrored scenes—like the sword duel echoing James Coburn’s knife fight. Yet, the differences stand out even more.
Seven Samurai is a tougher watch than its Western counterpart. Characterisation is deeper, with a strong focus on social status and personal honour. The script delves into the motivations of each samurai, and the development is rich and considered. The acting is impeccable, and the cinematography is stunning—rendering the Japanese countryside in a palette of exquisite black and white tones.
This film makes you think. It’s not a swashbuckling adventure about thrill-seeking heroes—it’s a meditation on pride, sacrifice, and redemption. The ronin are lonely outcasts; many like them turned to banditry to survive. But these seven, though masterless, still live by the bushido code, choosing to defend the powerless—for nothing more than three bowls of rice a day.
(originally published June 2016)
