Seven Samurai

Seven Samurai (1954)

Genres - Action, Adventure, Drama, Sports & Recreation  |   Sub-Genres - Samurai Film, Ensemble Film, Period Film  |   Run Time - 200 min.  |   Countries - Japan  |   MPAA Rating - NR
  • AllMovie Rating
    10
  • User Ratings (0)
  • Your Rating

Share on

Synopsis by Jonathan Crow

Akira Kurosawa's epic tale concerns honor and duty during a time when the old traditional order is breaking down. The film opens with master samurai Kambei (Takashi Shimura) posing as a monk to save a kidnapped farmer's child. Impressed by his selflessness and bravery, a group of farmers begs him to defend their terrorized village from bandits. Kambei agrees, although there is no material gain or honor to be had in the endeavor. Soon he attracts a pair of followers: a young samurai named Katsushiro (Isao Kimura), who quickly becomes Kambei's disciple, and boisterous Kikuchiyo (Toshiro Mifune), who poses as a samurai but is later revealed to be the son of a farmer. Kambei assembles four other samurais, including Kyuzo (Seiji Miyaguchi), a master swordsman, to round out the group. Together they consolidate the village's defenses and shape the villagers into a militia, while the bandits loom menacingly nearby. Soon raids and counter-raids build to a final bloody heart-wrenching battle.

Characteristics

Moods

Keywords

attack, bad-guy, defense [military], farming, good-guy, invasion, mercenary, outlaw [Western], pillaging, rescue, romance, Samurai, sword

Attributes

High Artistic Quality, High Historical Importance, High Production Values