Kurasowa's movie made in 1954 is possibly the best movie ever made. Let me tell you why it speaks directly to my soul. Although I could give you one hundred reasons, for your sake, I will limit my reasons to seven. We know all the movies that followed, and you don't need me to list them. But when you watch THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, THE WILD BUNCH, and even THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY remember the movie that inspired them. When you watch modern classics, including the Lucas and Spielberg flicks, remember Kurosawa as the inspiration.

Before I list my seven reasons for loving this film, let's set this film in history. Japan in 1954 was in the early process of recovery from the devastating world war. It was a period of rapid recovery, and Kurasowa's effort was the most expensive movie made that year, and took a year to make.

What was America like, in relation to this culture? Sadly, most Americans were still anti-Japanese. Remember those years as a time of great prosperity, with the Baby boomer generation (myself included) experiencing television for the first time, but also remember bigotry, paranoia, racism as being prevalent in our culture.

I first saw the movie in the late sixties, and later at art theaters in New York. I had not seen this movie since 1976, and if anything, it is better now.

Film is a western innovation. Japanese culture and art has always been eclectic, and the film industry is no exception. But art in Japan has long won my admiration for being able to move beyond it's influences into a dynamic and energetic world of it's own. Bottom line is, you don't have to be Japanese to appreciate it. It's appeal is universal. And Kurasowa's ability to tell a story is simply the best.

I have no objections to this film, although you need to be able to process subtitles. Black and white imagery is occasionally hard to watch, when you are used to brilliant color. The movie is over three hours long, and will require your full attention. Let me give you some things to watch for, that might help you appreciate this masterpiece.

I THE PLOT

A farming village is beset by bandits. The setting is the 16th Century, a period marked by civil unrest. A lawless time. (Does this sound familiar?) The villagers, in desperation, seek help from wandering, unemployed Samurai. Samurai are the professional warrior class, many on the run, disenfranchised. The villagers are poor, and have to find some that will work cheap, and will take up their cause. They recruit seven.

The story moves forward with subplots of "coming of age", defending the helpless, classic conflict of good and evil, the battle with the bandits, and the ultimate result. Each Samurai is revealed with a finely drawn set of characteristics, and skills.

The Samurai train the villagers in self defense, and the story moves to its' inevitable end. The genius of this film is the shifting point of view. We sometimes see with the villager's eyes, sometimes we identify with the Samurai. Rarely, we get to watch this as an observer. There are specific characters that direct our perception.

II THE CHARACTERS-THE SAMURAI

KAMBEI- The first Samurai recruited. He is the older man, clearly the leader. In an early scene he shaves his head (unheard of in a Samurai) to save a child. His honor and ascetic purity are clearly established.

KATSUHSHIRO -Unoffically the second Samurai recruited. He is of a moneyed class, and his eyes shine with admiration for Kambei, who he begs to follow in the honored tradition of student to teacher. He is young, handsome, naive. His is the coming of age story. He falls in love with a village girl (incidentally the only love scene ever filmed by Kurosawa). His learning of the process of becoming Samurai mirrors our own view of the action.

KIKUCHIYO-The last Samurai recruited. He is the key character in this movie. He is brash, courageous, funny, and the essential element in bringing the farmers and the Samurai together. His passions are the extremes of joyous triumph and lowest despair. He is always shouting. He is never still. In addition he is the second mirror of ourselves as the observer. He carries a HUGE sword.

OTHER SAMURAI Include GOROBEI, who becomes the second in command, SCHICHROJI, Kambei's oldest friend, HEIHACHI, the clown, master of the "wood cutting school", and KYUZO, the sword master. KYUZO is a particularly interesting and enigmatic character. He is the watcher from the Samurai point of view, witnessing the "love affair" of the young acolyte, and keeping the secret.

III THE CHARACTERS -THE FARMERS

The young generation is represented by RICKICHI, who has a personal tragedy and reason for vengence on the bandits. He in many ways represents the villagers dynamic transformation in learning to defend themselves.

MANZO represents the older, more conservative generation. Fearing the bandits, he also fears the Samurai. He is obsessed with protecting his daughter SHINO from associating with the defending Samurai, cutting off her hair and dressing her as a boy. (It doesn't work)

GRANDDAD is a character who provides sage advice to the younger villagers, and YOHEI is the comic relief. In many ways, these two characters live a life in the pages of Japanese gesture painting (as do all the others in different scenes). Granddad is archtypically ancient. YOHEI is always aghast, or fearful, or bumbling. He is afforded some great dignity by the end.

THE WOMEN are less clearly drawn and less essential to the movie, except for the love affair of SHINO and KATSUSHIRO. There are some lovely and unusual shots of women, backsides to the camera. Women and children provide the audience for most of the action, as well as the reason protection is needed.

IV HUMOR
Some of the best can be found here. Yohei's bumbling is magnificent. The antics of the swaggering Kikuchiyo are hilarious, in any culture. In particular, let me direct your attention to his introduction to the art of riding a horse.

V PHOTOGRAPHY

The images are perfect, and stills could be made from nearly any frame. Kurasowa's three camera perspective, innovative for the time, is a highly effective way of seeing a scene from different perspectives, visual as well as emotional.

VI MUSIC

The Samurai theme, the villager theme and the bandit theme are separate and distinct. They are played to direct our attention, often without our being overtly aware. Nothing is done without a reason. Kikuchyo has his own theme music, as well as Shino. The bandits music opens the film, and does help you identify the bad guys.

VII TOSHIRO MIFUNE

As KIKUCHYO. If none of the other reasons caught your interest, this actor is reason enough to watch this flick. He is simply amazing. This is a day in Japan when the Toho company did not feature stunt men. Mifune's athletic ability is incredible. He becomes his character in every gesture, and in every act. He is the character to watch to truly appreciate this film.

RECOMMENDATION

Get this movie and watch it over and over. Listen to the commentary by David Ehrenstein, for some background. When I learned that Kurosawa was a painter for many years before he ventured into film-making, it suddenly became clearer to me why I had such affinity for this film. For me it is ART even more than entertainment. But it can be many things. Take your pick.





Recommended: Yes