Seven Samurai (1954) Shichinin no samurai (original title)

Director:

Akira Kurosawa

Writers:

Akira Kurosawa (screenplay) &
Shinobu Hashimoto (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 November 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

Will Take Its Place With the Seven Greatest Films of All Time!

Plot:

A poor village under attack by bandits recruits seven unemployed samurai to help them defend themselves.

Plot Keywords:

Samurai | Bandit | Farmer | Japan | Rice

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Toshirô Mifune	...	Kikuchiyo (as Toshiro Mifune)
Takashi Shimura	...	Kambei Shimada
Keiko Tsushima	...	Shino
Yukiko Shimazaki	...	Wife (as Yukio Shimazaki)
Kamatari Fujiwara	...	Farmer Manzo
Daisuke Katô	...	Shichiroji (as Daisake Kato)
Isao Kimura	...	Katsushiro (as Ko Kimura)
Minoru Chiaki	...	Heihachi
Seiji Miyaguchi	...	Kyuzo
Yoshio Kosugi	...	Farmer Mosuke
Bokuzen Hidari	...	Farmer Yohei
Yoshio Inaba	...	Gorobei Katayama
Yoshio Tsuchiya	...	Farmer Rikichi
Kokuten Kôdô	...	Old Man Gisaku (as Kuninori Todo)
Eijirô Tôno	...	Thief (as Eijiro Tono)
Kichijirô Ueda	...	Bandit Scout (as Ueda Kichijiro)
Jun Tatara	...	Coolie A
Atsushi Watanabe	...	Bun Seller
Toranosuke Ogawa	...	Grandfather of Kidnapped Girl
Isao Yamagata	...	Samurai
Kamiyama Sôjin	...	Blind Player (as Sojin)
Gen Shimizu	...	Samurai Who Kicks Farmers (as Hajime Shimizu)
Keiji Sakakida	...	Gosaku
Shinpei Takagi	...	Bandit Chieftain (as Shimpei Takagi)
Shin Ôtomo	...	Bandit Second-in-Command
Toshio Takahara	...	Samurai with Gun
Hiroshi Sugi	...	Tea Shop Owner
Kan Hayashi	...	Weak Ronin
Sachio Sakai	...	2nd Coolie
Sôkichi Maki	...	Strong-Looking Samurai
Ichirô Chiba	...	Buddhist Priest
Noriko Sengoku	...	Wife of Gono Family
Noriko Honma	...	Woman Farmer
Masanobu Ôkubo	...	Samurai
Etsurô Saijô	...	Bandit
Minoru Itô	...	Samurai
Haruya Sakamoto	...	Samurai
Kyorô Sakurai	...	Samurai
Hideo Shibuya	...	Bandit
Kiyoshi Kamoda	...	Samurai
Senkichi Ômura	...	Bandit Who Escapes
Takashi Narita	...	Bandit Who Escapes
Shôichi Hirose	...	Bandit
Kôji Uno	...	Bandit
Masaaki Tachibana	...	Bandit
Kamayuki Tsubono	...	Bandit
Taiji Naka	...	Bandit
Chindanji Miyagawa	...	Bandit
Shigemi Sunagawa	...	Bandit
Akira Tani	...	Bandit
Akio Kusama	...	Bandit
Ryûtarô Amami	...	Bandit
Jun Mikami	...	Bandit
Haruo Nakajima	...	Bandit
Sanpei Mine	...	Farmer
Masahide Matsushita	...	Samurai
Kaneo Ikeda	...	Samurai
Takuzô Kumagaya	...	Gisaku's Son (as Jirô Kumagaya)
Ippei Kawagoe	...	Farmer
Jirô Suzukawa	...	Farmer
Junpei Natsuki	...	Farmer
Kyôichi Kamiyama	...	Farmer
Haruo Suzuki	...	Farmer
Gorô Amano	...	Farmer
Hikaru Kitchôji	...	Farmer
Kôji Iwamoto	...	Farmer
Hiroshi Akitsu	...	Gono Husband
Akira Yamada	...	Farmer
Kazuo Imai	...	Farmer
Eisuke Nakanishi	...	Farmer
Toku Ihara	...	Farmer
Hideo Ôtsuka	...	Farmer
Shû Ôe	...	Farmer
Yasuhisa Tsutsumi	...	Farmer in Front of Gono
Yasuo Ônishi	...	Farmer
Tsuneo Katagiri	...	Farmer in Front of Gono
Megeru Shimoda	...	Farmer
Masayoshi Kawabe	...	Farmer
Shigeo Katô	...	Farmer
Yoshikazu Kawamata	...	Farmer
Takeshi Seki	...	3rd Coolie
Haruko Toyama	...	Gisaku's Daughter-in-Law
Tsuruko Mano	...	Woman Farmer in Front of Gono
Matsue Ono	...	Woman Farmer
Tazue Ichimanji	...	Woman Farmer (as Tazue Ichimanji)
Masako Ôshiro	...	Woman Farmer
Kyôko Ozawa	...	Woman Farmer
Michiko Kadono	...	Farmer's Wife
Toshiko Nakano	...	Farmer's Wife
Shizuko Azuma	...	Farmer's Wife
Keiko Mori	...	Farmer's Wife
Michiko Kawabe	...	Farmer's Wife
Yûko Togawa	...	Farmer's Wife
Yayoko Kitano	...	Farmer's Wife
Misao Suyama	...	Woman Farmer
Toriko Takahara	...	Woman Farmer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Takeshi Katô	...	Samurai Wandering Through Town (uncredited)
Tatsuya Nakadai	...	Samurai Wandering Through Town (uncredited)
Ken Utsui	...	Samurai Wandering Through Town (uncredited)
Ren Yamamoto	...	Farmer (uncredited)

Directed by
Akira Kurosawa

Writing credits
Akira Kurosawa		(screenplay) &
Shinobu Hashimoto		(screenplay) &
Hideo Oguni		(screenplay)

Produced by
Sôjirô Motoki	....	producer (as Sojiro Motoki)

Original Music by
Fumio Hayasaka

Cinematography by
Asakazu Nakai		(photography) (as Asaichi Nakai)

Film Editing by
Akira Kurosawa

Production Design by
Takashi Matsuyama

Art Direction by
Sô Matsuyama		(art direction) (as So Matsuyama)

Costume Design by
Kôhei Ezaki
Mieko Yamaguchi

Makeup Department
Midori Nakajo	....	hair stylist
Junjirô Yamada	....	hair
Junjirô Yamada	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Hiroshi Nezu	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sakae Hirosawa	....	assistant director
Hiromichi Horikawa	....	assistant director
Toshi Kaneko	....	assistant director
Masaya Shimizu	....	assistant director
Yasuyoshi Tajitsu	....	assistant director

Art Department
Kôhei Ezaki	....	art consultant
Kôichi Hamamura	....	property master
Yoshirô Muraki	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Ichirô Minawa	....	sound effects editor
Masanao Uehara	....	sound assistant
Fumio Yanoguchi	....	recording

Camera and Electrical Department
Masao Fukuda	....	still photographer
Mitsuo Kaneko	....	assistant lighting technician
Shigeru Mori	....	lighting technician
Takao Saitô	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
Hiroshi Nezu	....	editing manager

Music Department
Masaru Satô	....	assistant to composer

Other crew
Shigeru Endo	....	archery
Kôhei Ezaki	....	folklore researcher (as Kohei Ezaki)
Yuji Hamada	....	accountant
Ienori Kaneko	....	archery
Toshio Nakane	....	acting office
Teruyo Nogami	....	script supervisor
Takeharu Shimada	....	production assistant
Yoshio Sugino	....	fencing

Production Companies

• Toho Company (presents)

Distributors

• Toho Company (1954) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1972) (USA) (TV) (US network premiere)
• AVCO Embassy Pictures (1982) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Films Incorporated (1982) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Janus Films (1982) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Landmark Films (1982) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1989) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Criterion Collection, The (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Criterion Collection, The (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Cowboy Pictures (2002) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Toho Company (2002) (Japan) (DVD)
• Shoval Film Production (2003) (Israel) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Bright Angel Distribution (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Madman Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Total Film Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Total Film Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Nihon Eiga Satellite Broadcasting (2007) (Japan) (TV)
• Aito Mäkinen (1963) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (2009) (Czech Republic) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Atlantic Film (2002) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Cinédis (1955) (France) (theatrical)
• Dianafilmi (1981) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Eurooppalainen Filmi (1959) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Jaguar Film (1965) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Rosenbergs Filmbyrå (1965) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Sputnik (2004) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Studio 43 (????) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (2002) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Television och Smalfilm (1965) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• trigon-film (2012) (Austria) (theatrical)
• trigon-film (2012) (Germany) (theatrical)
• trigon-film (2012) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution Sverige AB (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (200?) (Finland) (DVD)
• Suomen Kunnallispalvelu (1994) (Finland) (VHS)
• Tocantins (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Toho Company (2009) (Japan) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Toho Video (1996) (Japan) (VHS)
• WoWow (2012) (Japan) (TV)
• YLE Teema (2005) (Finland) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1964) (Finland) (TV)
• trigon-film (2012) (Germany) (DVD) (special edition - full version)
• trigon-film (2012) (Switzerland) (DVD) (special edition)
• trigon-film (2013) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (special edition)

Other Companies

• Toho Developing Co.  film developing
• Toho Genzosho  video editing

Also Known As:

"Shichinin no samurai" - Japan (original title)

Runtime:

207 min | 160 min (international version) | Argentina:163 min | Sweden:202 min (2002 re-release) | UK:150 min (original version) | UK:190 min (1991 re-release) | USA:141 min | USA:203 min (re-release) | USA:207 min (restored version) | Spain:202 min (DVD edition)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Stereo (re-release prints)

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:11 (re-rating) (2002) | Sweden:15 (original rating) | Switzerland:14 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1991) | USA:Unrated | West Germany:16 | Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Brazil:10 | Czech Republic:U | Spain:T | Australia:M (VHS version) | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Japan

Company:

Toho Company

Trivia:

First use of a scene which is now commonplace in cinema: The approaching horde coming into view as they crest a hilltop, specifically when Kikuchiyo sees the mounted bandits approaching.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: When samurai or bandits are shot with muskets, the bullet strikes before the sound of the distant gunshot is heard. This is technically correct, due to the difference between the speeds of light and sound, and it is a feature of other Akira Kurosawa films, such as Kagemusha (1980), although it gives the false impression that people are being shot before the guns are discharged.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Bandit second-in-command:We'll take this place next.
Bandit Chief:We took it last autumn. They haven't got anything worth taking yet. Let's wait.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gilmore Girls: Teach Me Tonight (#2.19)" (2002)

Complex Beauty

Donald Richie thought it was Kurosawa's finest, and suggested that it might the best Japanese film ever made.

It is a film that rewards casual viewing and careful viewing and repeated viewing and viewing over time. Isn't that rather like a wonderful book, that rewards you every time you pick it up? I suppose that is the definition of greatness.

How was this greatness achieved? (This is not a rhetorical question. It truly astonishes me how this film creates meaning...cutting across all boundaries of nationality, language, and culture to become a meaningful personal experience for those who view it). This creation of greatness may be a mystery, but we can point to the some features of the film's excellence:

The artistic achievement: The music, the cinematography, the extensive set design, the editing and the acting in the service of a moving story all conspire to create a world that becomes ours on a deeply personal level. It is a film which influences later films and filmmakers.

The narrative achievement: Based on an original concept of Kurosawa's which began as a "day in the life" documentary of a samurai's existence, Kurosawa developed the idea into this breathtaking film of samurai who save a village. This simple but complexly nuanced human story involves us in different social classes in an historical framework. We come to know individual peasants and samurai, and feel that we know significant things about them, their motivations, hopes and fears.

The achievements of the actors: These are characters you will love, people you need to have in your life: the characters of Kyuzo, Heihachi and the unforgettable Bokuzen Hidari as a bewildered peasant..! Takeshi Shimura, as the leader of the samurai, Gambei, is the embodiment of wisdom, and calm in the storm. And, saying that Toshiro Mifune has star power is like saying the noonday sun sheds a little warmth.

Toshiro: It's the cut of his jawline when he asks the village patriarch, "Got a problem, grandad?", and the most charming look of confusion and embarrassment playing over his face when he is told by Heihachi that he is the triangle on the samurai flag. It's his energy, speed and agility and power and intelligence. Mifune sniffing out the fuse of a gun in the woods, bouncing through the brush half-naked in an abbreviated set of armor, or carrying his ridiculously oversize sword on one shoulder, Mifune crying over a baby, and the incomparable scene of his embarrassment that turns to rage when Mifune accuses the samurai of creating the farmer's condition.

Toshiro Mifune represents with extraordinary physicality the spirit of a man desperate to prove his worth: Mifune's got the animal sexuality, the physical response to emotional situations, the expressive face, the humorous and varied vocalisms to make us feel deeply what his character experiences: his struggles, his growth.(His drunken burblings as the last "samurai" to audition are nothing short of hilarious, and his "fish singing" is eerie and funny, too...also the grunted "eh?" that he often uses to show confusion, and the "heh" of disgust..such wonderful sounds, and so expressive!) Mifune's acting is wild and alive, even more than 50 years after the film's original release.

Takashi Shimura: You will trust him with your life. His great, open heart, his mature calm, his honesty and compassion make him one of the greatest of all samurai on film.

Fumio Hayasaka's music: Kuroasawa was lucky to have such a brilliant composer as collaborator. Themes introduce characters, and the samurai theme is surprising and memorable. If you have viewed the film, chances are, the samurai theme is playing in your mind with just a mention of the music. Hayasaka's music is muscular and nuanced: creating humor, or a counterpoint to the action, or deepening our sympathy for and understanding of the characters.

Muraki's scenography: There is no doubt that the places shown in the film are real. The achievement of Kurosawa's longtime collaborator provide a real world for the action.

The filmography is ground-breaking: the multiple cameras, slow-motion and attention to light and composition make each frame worthy of an 8X10 glossy. How can individual moments of such beauty be sustained throughout the movement of the film? It is an astonishing feat. And, best of all, no image degenerates into interior design or vacuous prettiness...everything forwards the movement of the cinematic experience. When the film ends, we feel as if we have lived it!

It is with great respect and humility that I offer my thanks to the memory of Mr. Kurosawa. His great work leads us to treasure humanity and its struggles, to develop our own abilities to feel compassion, encourages us to try to make good choices, to be socially and morally responsible, to embrace life.