Seven Samurai, written and directed by Akira Kurosawa Nine out of 10

Seven Samurai, written and directed by Akira Kurosawa

Nine out of 10

One of the most magnificent motion pictures of all time, Seven Samurai is nevertheless unfamiliar to audiences that know about The Magnificent Seven, which is actually a good adaptation of the Akira Kurosawa classic that has been included on

The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list

Seven Samurai presents an unforgettable story of valor, sacrifice, humanity, kindness, love, but also hatred, cowardice, villainy and oppression.

The people in a village in medieval Japan are constantly under attack and find they are unable to cope with the marauders that come constantly to take away their livelihood, the crops they grow in the fields, for which they toil and work hard are gone about as soon as they are harvested, for the monstrous invaders know when they can come to collect one crop and then take a break, long enough to arrive in time for their next prize.

The peasants are good at their daily work, but they lack the skills to oppose those who are professional fighters and have the means to kill not just simple people…we would discover that they have three muskets in their panoply and thus can dispatch enemies from a distance.

Advised by the wise elder, the villagers consider hiring some samurai to help them face the plague of the constant robbery, but they lack the means to pay, except for some food, and this would be an obstacle they would have to surmount.

Eventually, they get the crucial support of Kambei Shimada, who would be the leader, mastermind of the defense, the one who would say where the fence needs to be raised, that three houses would have to abandoned, for the good of the community, because they are situated outside the line that they could protect reasonably.

Kambei Shimada would also be the one who would talk with other potential candidates for this Dream Team of Avengers – since this has recently become the new holder of the box office record, such a popular feature, albeit not with the undersigned.

Nonetheless, when told that they would have to fight for food and pay would be practically nonexistent, most samurai pass on this opportunity, even if it would be a sensitive, heavy moment when within the circle of the Seven Samurai they discuss the fact that they get good, white rice, whereas the poor peasants are forced into what looks like malnutrition.

The locals are very worried about the situation of their daughters and wives, who could become the target of these alien men, samurai used with having it their own way and superior in status in medieval Japanese society to ordinary folk.

Indeed, even today, modern Japan is a place of paradoxes, with many aspects of daily life apparently descended from the future, while other issues seem to be still part of the distant past – the justice system appears quite unfair – the case of Carlos Ghosn has thrown some light on that – people with a handicap do not enjoy the rights and benefits they have elsewhere – according to an article in the most recent issue of The Economist.

When six of the Seven Samurai are gathered, they have a maverick joining forces with them, or at least trying to be part of the group to begin with, the outsider, outré Kikuchiyo aka the most famous Japanese actor of the period – the film was released in 1954, in black and white.

The confrontation would be difficult, for even with the group of Seven Expert fighters that is now in charge of the defense of the village, they are still outnumbered and they face a better-equipped enemy that is sending three spies to study the terrain.

These first reconnaissance men are found and killed, but the battle would cause many victims among the peasants, albeit the strategy devised by the formidable Kambei Shimada is to allow individuals from the attacking group to penetrate the fence and then isolate and kill them.

One samurai falls in love with a young woman, but her father is viciously opposed to the idea and the discovery of the secret relationship – the two lovers met furtively – causes a scandal.

Finally, Kambei Shimada talks about the fact that it is the villagers who are the ultimate heroes, it is their fight and if it is a victory – let us not get into that – they would deserve all the glory.

The Seven Samurai is part of the history of cinema, to be found in the pages of glory.