My wife Eileen and I recently acquired a copy of Akira Kurosawa’s epic, “Seven Samurai”. Those of you with a bit of knowledge of cinematic lore, will know that this film was the basis for the classic Western, “The Magnificent Seven”. What you may not know, is the fact that Kurosawa loved Westerns, particularly the works of his friend and mentor, John Ford.
“Seven Samurai” and “Magnificent Seven” have EXACTLY the same plot. A village of destitute farmers hires mercenaries with honor to protect them from marauding bandits. Exchange Katanas for Sixguns, and IT’S THE SAME STORY! Even the characters are identical. This was by design. “Seven Samurai” was Kurosawa’s Love Letter to the Westerns that he adored.
To watch this film, you have to be willing to invest some time. It clocks in at a whopping Three Hours and Twenty-Seven minutes, but it’s worth every second of them. It’s a really slow build, but it’s necessary, in order to lay all of the needed groundwork. It should be noted, that at no time does this movie feel padded or lose the audience interest. Eileen and I were riveted. The subtitles were in no way a distraction (I personally, find dubs to be more distracting. I prefer subtitles). It really did hit all the marks. I laughed, I cried, I thought, and my heart pounded. What more can you ask from a movie?!
Act One establishes the premise: The threat, and the Gathering of The Seven. Act Two bonds these men into a Unit and a Band of Brothers. They come to know and love each other. Act Three is the payoff. It’s brutal, and unrelenting. We witness violence and death, but we also see nobility, courage, self-sacrifice, and honor. Everything that a man SHOULD be. Might FOR Right.
I cannot recommend this film highly enough. If you haven’t seen it, make it a priority. Nothing is Perfect, but this flick comes pretty damn close. 9/10