Without exaggeration, Seven Samurai is one of the most significant works of art ever created. Its impact on cinema is undeniable and its influence on storytelling, not just within the medium of film, is incalculable. Certain popular movies will spawn so many imitators and ripoffs, that those imitators and ripoffs could constitute a legitimate subgenre. Take for example movies like Jaws, Indiana Jones, and Mad Max. The aquatic horror, adventure, and post-apocalyptic genres would look a lot different (and it could be argued that some of them may not have even existed at all) if they weren’t made. Those films made a huge impact on pop culture which is still inspiring writers and directors today. They, among other notable examples, are akin to giant trees with celluloid roots that are so vast and interconnected, that it’s nearly impossible to imagine what the landscape of film would look like if they didn’t exist. Yet, even those films pale in comparison to the influence of Seven Samurai.
Seven Samurai Already Did It
Many of Akira Kurosawa‘s films have a legitimate claim to the title of “the most remade, reworked and referenced film in cinema”, such as Rashomon with its revolutionary take on storytelling; Yojimbo with its ridiculously clever premise and The Hidden Fortress, the film that Lucas used as his blueprint for Star Wars. If all of those films had arguably just as big an impact, why am I singling out Seven Samurai as the most important? Because while those films were simply imitated, this film created an entire genre. This is the birth of the modern action movie. All roads lead back to Seven Samurai.
That slow-mo Snyder loves so much? Started here. The “assembling the team” trope that’s in every man on a mission movie? Popularized here. The opening action scene (where the hero is introduced in an action scenario unrelated to the rest of the plot) is later seen in every James Bond film ever made? Kurosawa did it first. The editing technique of cutting on motion, to give action scenes a more dynamic feeling? Seven Samurai did it.
Listing this film’s landmark accomplishments starts to feel like the South Park episode where Butters thinks up a series of schemes to take over the world, but realizes that each one has already been performed on the show The Simpsons. Throughout the episode, the phrase “The Simpsons did it” is repeated as nauseam to drive home how hard it is to create anything new when every story has already been told. You could easily replace The Simpsons with Seven Samurai and it would work just as well.
The Strongest Story Structure Ever Created
These accomplishments, while impressive, would only land Seven Samurai a place in history books. Numerous films have changed the landscape of cinema without us even knowing because those achievements are all they have to offer. We wouldn’t still be talking about Seven Samurai if it was merely a demarcation point. Those things are what makes it important, everything else about it makes it great. I’ve already touched upon the story and how many times it’s been plundered and mined for its riches but it bears repeating, this is the strongest story structure ever created. Unless your name is Zack Snyder, it is impossible to fuck up a retelling of this story.
A group of poor villagers enlists the aid of warriors to help defend themselves from evil thieves who plan to milk them of their resources and kill them. You can set it in the Wild West like The Magnificent Seven; you can turn the villagers into ants, the evil thieves into grasshoppers, and the warriors into out-of-work circus bugs like A Bug’s Life; set it in space like Battle Beyond the Stars; or you could even make some tweaks to the story as long as the shape is the same like Three Amigos and Galaxy Quest. It always works.
Unlike most action movies, the villains are almost inconsequential. As long as the film establishes that they are ruthless assholes, you’re golden. What’s more important are the villagers and the warriors. The former has to be equal parts likable, pitiable, and defenseless and the latter has to be memorable. They don’t all have to be badasses but they do have to leave an impression. Basically, they have to measure up to Kikuchiyo and Kambei in this.
Kambei and Kikuchiyo
Kambei (played by Takashi Shimura) is the leader of the samurai. He is a ronin, or a samurai without a master. We are introduced to him as he cuts off his hair to pose as a priest in order to save a child from a thief. Kambei is gentle, serious, and reserved, but has a good sense of humor. He follows his own internal moral compass rather than any socially ingrained values or hierarchies and is shown to be incredibly compassionate towards others.
Kikuchiyo (played by Toshirô Mifune) is his polar opposite. He carries a fake ancestry scroll that states he was born into a samurai family but does not realize that it also says he’s only 13 years old. At the start of the film, he is excessively proud, arrogant, and disrespectful toward others, and is generally a pain in the ass. However, he is the one who finally brings together the villagers and the samurai, as he is the bridge between the two classes and understands the merits and problems of both groups.
The rest of the samurai are memorable in their own ways but it’s these two characters that are the beating heart of the film. Shimura adds the stoicism and Mifune adds the complexity. He’s not a samurai. He’s barely likeable and yet, he’s the character you’re more than likely going to fall in love with. In addition to his instantly iconic silhouette, he plays the character like a damaged lion. He’s proud but loyal. He wants to be a samurai desperately and by the end of the film, it’s his journey, not the defeat of the thieves, we’re most invested in.
Both actors collaborated with Kurosawa multiple times but I’d argue this is their finest work together. They brought out the best in each other. Kurosawa was never as good when he didn’t work with one of them and neither of them gave performances as good outside of their work with him. Together they made the greatest film of all time, Seven Samurai.
What Seven Samurai Means to Us
In February of 2020, I sat down with two buddies and watched Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai for the first time. We ate cake, had some beers, and all became transformed by one of the most amazing pieces of cinema ever constructed. Seven Samurai changed me. I was now introduced to the lovely world of Kurosawa. My notion of what could be communicated or achieved through film was expanded. I wished I had seen it earlier. Why had I gone so long without knowing this movie? What else was out there that I was missing? This movie helped me graduate to a new level of cinephilia (is that even a word?) that I previously couldn’t imagine. A few weeks later, the COVID-19 shutdown hit. Like everyone else, I was anxious and concerned about what this new reality meant. But at least I had a reinvigorated appreciation for cinema. All thanks to Seven Samurai.
–Raf Stitt
Three decades of my life had passed before I delved into Kurosawa’s filmography. Which is strange, as I was a massive fan of other Asian movies growing up. From the martial arts epics of the 90s, to immersing myself in the rise of extreme Korean cinema in the 2000s, I loved it all. I had Seven Samurai on my watch list for many years, but the runtime of over 3 hours was rather off-putting. Thankfully a few years ago I righted this wrong. Completely engrossed, the time flew by. With the blistering action set pieces, fascinating characters (shout out to Kikuchiyo), and zero padding throughout, I could easily have watched another 3 hours and not complained. I have since gone on to explore the majority of Kurosawa’s movies and enjoyed them all. But nothing quite hits the heights of Seven Samurai, which I can easily call one of my favorite movies of all time.
–Lee McCutcheon
Let’s discuss Seven Samurai further down in the comments!