Seven Samurai (1954)

IMPORTANT NOTE: This film is in Japanese only, with no English dub, so if you don't like reading subtitles, do NOT watch this film. Another important thing I have to tell you is that if you plan on buying the film, don't buy he BFI DVD, even though they have the most 'complete' version, some scenes are left without subtitles and if you don't know Japanese, you will be lost, especially as the film gets more complicated as it goes on. The Story The story is about a farming village who set out to look for a samurai after bandits terrorised their home, stealing their crops and source of food. The story starts off simple, but it gets more and more complicated as the film goes on, with side plots going on including a love story, a story about revenge and a farmer who would do anything to save his only daughter. It's a good thing that the film is as long as it is because by the end of the film, you are completely satisfied with the ending, even if it isn't the most happiest. The Characters Some of the characters get a lot of development and personality, while others are basically forgotten about near the end, with some of the character's fates practically unknown, like the farmer who wanted to protect his daughter. What happened to him? Did he die in the last battle? We may never know! I wished that some of the characters, like the farmer's daughter and some of the samurai had more screen time because we know practically NOTHING about them! They are just there for the sake of being there, making some of the deaths a bit too predictable. The Special Effects Since this film was made in the 50s, many of the effects we have today did not exist back then, but what they used in the film, which was basically props, costumes and a painted backgrounds makes the film more like a play more then a movie. The film being in black-and-White does work to the film's advantage as well. It feels more like you are reading a manga while you watch the film and reading the subtitles. Even though manga was basically unknown to Western audiences till many years later, but for today's viewers, they will definitely see this more like a manga on the big screen more then an actual film because of the camera angles. The use of the camera is very good in this film, from the camera moving in a battle scene, to not moving at all during the more symbolic and emotional scenes. Final Thoughts Overall, this is one of the best samurai films I have ever seen and I recommend that people should give it at least one viewing before they die. The main drawback that this film has is its length. Over 3 hours long and with films being 2 hours maximum, it seems like today's viewers will ignore this film because of it's running-time. Let's just hope that this cinematic marvel isn't forgotten about a few decades from now and that young film viewers will give this film at least a try, because otherwise their missing out. The Story 5/5 The Characters 4/5 The Special Effects 5/5 Overall 4.5/5