Seven Samurai (1954)
Shichinin no samurai (original title)Reference View | Change View
- Not Rated
- 3h 27min
- Action, Adventure
- 19 Nov 1956 (USA)
- Movie
A poor village under attack by bandits recruits seven unemployed samurai to help them defend themselves.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 6 nominations.
- See more »
Reviews:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Toshirô Mifune | ... |
Kikuchiyo
(as Toshiro Mifune)
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| Takashi Shimura | ... |
Kambei Shimada
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| Keiko Tsushima | ... |
Shino
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Yukiko Shimazaki | ... |
Wife
(as Yukio Shimazaki)
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| Kamatari Fujiwara | ... |
Farmer Manzo
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| Daisuke Katô | ... |
Shichiroji
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Isao Kimura | ... |
Katsushiro
(as Ko Kimura)
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| Minoru Chiaki | ... |
Heihachi
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| Seiji Miyaguchi | ... |
Kyuzo
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Yoshio Kosugi | ... |
Farmer Mosuke
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| Bokuzen Hidari | ... |
Farmer Yohei
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Yoshio Inaba | ... |
Gorobei Katayama
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Yoshio Tsuchiya | ... |
Farmer Rikichi
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| Kokuten Kôdô | ... |
Old Man Gisaku
(as Kuninori Todo)
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| Eijirô Tôno | ... |
Thief
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| Kichijirô Ueda | ... |
Bandit Scout
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Jun Tatara | ... |
Coolie A
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Atsushi Watanabe | ... |
Bun Seller
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| Toranosuke Ogawa | ... |
Grandfather of Kidnapped Girl
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| Isao Yamagata | ... |
Samurai
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| Sôjin Kamiyama | ... |
Blind Player
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Gen Shimizu | ... |
Samurai Who Kicks Farmers
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Keiji Sakakida | ... |
Gosaku
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Shinpei Takagi | ... |
Bandit Chieftain
(as Shimpei Takagi)
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Shin Ôtomo | ... |
Bandit Second-in-Command
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| Toshio Takahara | ... |
Samurai with Gun
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Hiroshi Sugi | ... |
Tea Shop Owner
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Hiroshi Hayashi | ... |
Weak Ronin
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Sachio Sakai | ... |
2nd Coolie
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Sôkichi Maki | ... |
Strong-Looking Samurai
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Ichirô Chiba | ... |
Buddhist Priest
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| Noriko Sengoku | ... |
Wife of Gono Family
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Noriko Honma | ... |
Woman Farmer
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Masanobu Ôkubo | ... |
Samurai
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Etsuo Saijô | ... |
Bandit
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Minoru Itô | ... |
Samurai
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Haruya Sakamoto | ... |
Samurai
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Gorô Sakurai | ... |
Samurai
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Hideo Shibuya | ... |
Bandit
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Kiyoshi Kamoda | ... |
Samurai
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Senkichi Ômura | ... |
Bandit Who Escapes
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Takashi Narita | ... |
Bandit Who Escapes
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| Shôichi Hirose | ... |
Bandit
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Kôji Uno | ... |
Bandit
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Masaaki Tachibana | ... |
Bandit
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Kamayuki Tsubono | ... |
Bandit
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Taiji Naka | ... |
Bandit
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Chindanji Miyagawa | ... |
Bandit
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Shigemi Sunagawa | ... |
Bandit
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Akira Tani | ... |
Bandit
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Akio Kusama | ... |
Bandit
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Ryûtarô Amami | ... |
Bandit
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Jun Mikami | ... |
Bandit
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| Haruo Nakajima | ... |
Bandit
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Sanpei Mine | ... |
Farmer
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Masahide Matsushita | ... |
Samurai
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Kaneo Ikeda | ... |
Samurai
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Takuzô Kumagai | ... |
Gisaku's Son
(as Jirô Kumagaya)
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Ippei Kawagoe | ... |
Farmer
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Jirô Suzukawa | ... |
Farmer
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Junpei Natsuki | ... |
Farmer
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Kyôichi Kamiyama | ... |
Farmer
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Haruo Suzuki | ... |
Farmer
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Gorô Amano | ... |
Farmer
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Akira Kitchôji | ... |
Farmer
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Kôji Iwamoto | ... |
Farmer
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Hiroshi Akitsu | ... |
Gono Husband
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Akira Yamada | ... |
Farmer
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Kazuo Imai | ... |
Farmer
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Eisuke Nakanishi | ... |
Farmer
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Toku Ihara | ... |
Farmer
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Hideo Ôtsuka | ... |
Farmer
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Tokio Ôkawa | ... |
Farmer
(as Shû Ôe)
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Yasuhisa Tsutsumi | ... |
Farmer in Front of Gono
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Yasumasa Ônishi | ... |
Farmer
(as Yasuo Ônishi)
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Tsuneo Katagiri | ... |
Farmer in Front of Gono
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Megeru Shimoda | ... |
Farmer
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Masayoshi Kawabe | ... |
Farmer
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Shigeo Katô | ... |
Farmer
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Yoshikazu Kawamata | ... |
Farmer
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Takeshi Seki | ... |
3rd Coolie
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Haruko Toyama | ... |
Gisaku's Daughter-in-Law
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Tsuruko Mano | ... |
Woman Farmer in Front of Gono
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Matsue Ono | ... |
Woman Farmer
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Tsurue Ichimanji | ... |
Woman Farmer
(as Tazue Ichimanji)
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Masako Ôshiro | ... |
Woman Farmer
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Kyôko Ozawa | ... |
Woman Farmer
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Michiko Kadono | ... |
Farmer's Wife
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Toshiko Nakano | ... |
Farmer's Wife
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Shizuko Azuma | ... |
Farmer's Wife
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Keiko Mori | ... |
Farmer's Wife
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Michiko Kawabe | ... |
Farmer's Wife
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Yûko Togawa | ... |
Farmer's Wife
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Yayoko Kitano | ... |
Farmer's Wife
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Misao Suyama | ... |
Woman Farmer
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Toriko Takahara | ... |
Woman Farmer
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Takeshi Katô | ... |
Samurai Wandering Through Town (uncredited)
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| Tatsuya Nakadai | ... |
Samurai Wandering Through Town (uncredited)
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Ken Utsui | ... |
Samurai Wandering Through Town (uncredited)
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Ren Yamamoto | ... |
Farmer (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Akira Kurosawa | ||
Written by
| Akira Kurosawa | ... | (screenplay by) & |
| Shinobu Hashimoto | ... | (screenplay by) & |
| Hideo Oguni | ... | (screenplay by) |
Produced by
| Sôjirô Motoki | ... | producer (produced by) (as Sojiro Motoki) |
Music by
| Fumio Hayasaka | ... | (music) |
Cinematography by
| Asakazu Nakai | ... | (photography) (as Asaichi Nakai) |
Film Editing by
| Akira Kurosawa | ||
Editorial Department
| Hiroshi Nezu | ... | editing manager |
Production Design by
| Takashi Matsuyama | ||
Art Direction by
| Sô Matsuyama | ||
Costume Design by
| Kôhei Ezaki | ||
| Mieko Yamaguchi | ||
Makeup Department
| Midori Nakajô | ... | hair stylist |
| Junjirô Yamada | ... | hair / 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 recordist |
| Fumio Yanoguchi | ... | recording |
Stunts
| Haruo Nakajima | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Masao Fukuda | ... | still photographer |
| Mitsuo Kaneko | ... | assistant lighting technician |
| Shigeru Mori | ... | lighting |
| Takao Saitô | ... | assistant camera |
Music Department
| Masaru Satô | ... | assistant to composer |
Script and Continuity Department
| Teruyo Nogami | ... | script supervisor |
Additional Crew
| Shigeru Endo | ... | archery |
| Kôhei Ezaki | ... | folklore researcher (as Kohei Ezaki) |
| Yuji Hamada | ... | accountant |
| Ienori Kaneko | ... | archery |
| Toshio Nakane | ... | acting office |
| Takeharu Shimada | ... | production assistant |
| Yoshio Sugino | ... | fencing |
Production Companies
- Toho Company (presents)
Distributors
- Toho Company (1954) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Dear Film (1955) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Kingsley-International Pictures (1956) (United States) (theatrical) (as 'The Magnificent Seven') (subtitled)
- Columbia Pictures (1956) (United States) (theatrical) (as 'The Magnificent Seven') (subtitled)
- Orbe Films (1957) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Dipenfa (1967) (Spain) (theatrical)
- Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1972) (United States) (tv) (US network premiere)
- Embassy Pictures (1982) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Films Incorporated (1982) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Janus Films (1982) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Landmark Films (1982) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Embassy Home Entertainment (1987) (United States) (VHS)
- The Criterion Collection (1989) (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- The Criterion Collection (1991) (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- The Criterion Collection (1998) (United States) (DVD)
- Cowboy Pictures (2002) (United States) (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)
- Connoisseur Film Ltd. (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Consulate of Japan in India (1967) (India) (theatrical)
- Dianafilmi (1980) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Eurooppalainen Filmi (1959) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Films de France (1955) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Internacional Filmes (1968) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- Jaguar Film (1965) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- La Rabbia (2013) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Le Pacte (2013) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
- 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)
- British Film Institute (BFI) (2014) (United Kingdom) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Connoisseur Video (1991) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
- Epoca (Argentina) (VHS)
- Festival Records (1990) (Australia) (VHS)
- Festival Video (1990) (Australia) (VHS)
- Future Film (2015) (Finland) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (6-disc Akira Kurosawa: Samurai Masterpiece Collection)
- HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- Leopardo Filmes (2020) (Portugal)
- New KSM (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
- Sandrew Metronome Distribution Sverige AB (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
- Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2004) (Finland) (DVD) (as part of Akira Kurosawa Box)
- Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
- Sandrew Metronome Norge (2007) (Norway) (DVD)
- Star Media Entertainment (2015) (Norway) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (Akira Kurosawa - Samurai Masterpiece Collection 1950-1962)
- Suomen Kunnallispalvelu (1994) (Finland) (VHS)
- Taurus Video (1983) (West Germany) (VHS)
- The Criterion Channel (2019) (United States) (digital)
- The Criterion Collection (2004) (United States) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (2009) (United States) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (2010) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Tocantins (Brazil) (VHS)
- Toho Company (2009) (Japan) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Toho Video (1996) (Japan) (VHS)
- WOWOW (2012) (Japan) (tv)
- Yleisradio (YLE) (1964) (Finland) (tv)
- trigon-film (2012) (Germany) (DVD) (special edition - full version)
- trigon-film (2012) (Switzerland) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- trigon-film (2012) (Switzerland) (DVD) (special edition)
- trigon-film (2013) (Germany) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (special edition)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Toho Developing Co. (film developing)
- Toho Genzosho (video editing)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
A veteran samurai, who has fallen on hard times, answers a village's request for protection from bandits. He gathers 6 other samurai to help him, and they teach the townspeople how to defend themselves, and they supply the samurai with three small meals a day. The film culminates in a giant battle when 40 bandits attack the village.
Written by Colin Tinto |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Will Take Its Place With the Seven Greatest Films of All Time! See more » |
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| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Box Office
| Budget | $2,000,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Akira Kurosawa's original idea for the film was to make it about a day in the life of a samurai, beginning with him rising from bed, eat breakfast, go to his master's castle and ending with him making some mistake that required him to go home and kill himself to save face. Despite a good deal of research, he did not feel he had enough solid factual information to make the movie. He then pitched the idea of a film that would cover a series of five samurai battles, based on the lives of famous Japanese swordsmen. Hashimoto went off to write that script, but Kurosawa ultimately scrapped that idea as well, worrying that a film that was just "a series of climaxes" wouldn't work. Then, producer Sôjirô Motoki found, through historical research, that samurai in the "Warring States" period of Japanese history would often volunteer to stand guard at peasant villages overnight in exchange for food and lodging. Kurosawa then came across an anecdote about a village hiring samurai to protect them and decided to use that idea. Kurosawa wrote a complete dossier for each character with a speaking role. In it were details about what they wore, their favourite foods, their past history, their speaking habits, their reaction to battle and every other detail he could think of about them. No other Japanese director had ever done this before. See more » |
| Goofs | In the closing moments of the final battle, the bandits fire two musket shots only seconds apart. It is clear from the plot that at that point they possess only one musket. The black powder muskets of the age required much more time to reload. This error was pointed out in the commentary of the deluxe DVD edition. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in A.K. (1985). See more » |
| Quotes |
Kikuchiyo:
What do you think of farmers? You think they're saints? Hah! They're foxy beasts! They say, "We've got no rice, we've no wheat. We've got nothing!" But they have! They have everything! Dig under the floors! Or search the barns! You'll find plenty! Beans, salt, rice, sake! Look in the valleys, they've got hidden warehouses! They pose as saints but are full of lies! If they smell a battle, they hunt the defeated! They're nothing but stingy, greedy, blubbering, foxy, and mean! God damn it all! [He hurls a handful of arrows into the wall] Kikuchiyo: But then who made them such beasts? You did! You samurai did it! You burn their villages! Destroy their farms! Steal their food! Force them to labour! Take their women! And kill them if they resist! So what should farmers do? [Kikuchiyo sinks to his knees, and begins to sob uncontrollably] Kikuchiyo: Damn... damn... damn... damn... [Kambei unfolds his arms and looks down at the palms of his hands] Kambei Shimada: [Quietly, after a long pause] You were the son of a farmer, weren't you? See more » |