#2: KUROSAWA, Akira: Seven Samurai (1954)

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KUROSAWA, Akira (Japan)
Seven Samurai [1954]
Spine #2
DVD


One of the most beloved movie epics of all time, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire seven out-of-work warriors to protect them from invading bandits. This three-hour ride — featuring legendary actors Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura — seamlessly weaves philosophy and entertainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action into a rich, evocative, and unforgettable tale of courage and hope.

207 minutes
Black & White
Monaural
in Japanese
1:33:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2006
Director/Writers


Kurosawa was 44 when he directed Seven Samurai.

Eclipse Series 7: One Wonderful Sunday (1947)
#413: Drunken Angel (1948)
Eclipse Series 7: Scandal (1950)
Eclipse Series 7: The Idiot (1951)
#221: Ikiru (1952)

The Film

Aa

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

 The Booklet

Fifty-six page booklet featuring essays by Kenneth Turan, Peter Cowie, Philip Kemp, Peggy Chiao, Alain Silver, Stuart Galbraith, Arthur Penn and Sidney Lumet; and an interview with Mifune from 1993.

Commentary

2. Michael Jeck.
Documentary

Fifty-minute doc on the making of Seven Samurai created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create.
My Life in Cinema

A two-hour conversation from 1993 between directors Kurosawa and Nagisa Ôshima.
Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences

A documentary looking at the samurai traditions and films that helped shape Kurosawa’s masterpiece.
Theatrical trailers and teaser

Gallery

Of rare posters, behind-the-scenes photos, and production stills.
Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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