I’ve seen the first half of this classic movie 2 times now, and I want to know how it comes out. Do the bandits ever arrive?
By the way: I am stunned by the total and complete greatness of this flick. Being unable to finish watching it is entirely beyond my control at this point.
Just rent the American western remake The magnificent seven, IMO The seven samurai is better but the American version has better action scenes (for an American taste) and with the exception of the betrayal by the villagers, the plots are the same.
Do not rent the magnificent seven. No comparison unless you think that Bud Lite tastes better.
Yes, the bandits arrive. The seven samauri and the villages fight them off, 4 or 5 of the seven die (but I won’t tell you which ones or in what tragic manner), eventally walk into the sunset leaving behind the villagers planting their crops. One of the best movies ever made.
One of the greatest Japanese Flicks ever by one of the Greatest Japanese Director (Kurosawa).
DON’T WATCH the magnificent Seven…does not EVEN compare to the Seven Samurai movie. Basically what China Guy says, w/ the cooporation of the villagers, the 7 samurais did away with the bandits…Yes, a few of them die but the bandits eventually give up and runs away. The samurais even go to the bandits’ crib and raise hell as well.
I really enjoyed the character played by Mifune (the ragged one…can’t remember his name). He’s a great actor and even his other samurai films like Sanjuro I loved…it’s a must see!!
Don’t be dissing The Magnificent Seven, y’all! Granted, Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai is immeasurably greater and is one of the treasures of world cinema, but the American movie is an excellent film in its own right. (I got 'em both on DVD and recently rewatched 'em.) You might as well trash A Bug’s Life because it, too, borrows the basic plotline of the Kurosawa film, except that nobody dies at the end.
Toshiro Mifune’s performance in SS as Kikujiro, the peasant who pretends to be samurai, is both comedic and heartbreakingly sad in turns.
BTW, Rashomon just came out on DVD this past Tuesday. Guess what my next purchase will be.
And different characters survive in the Japanese version and the American version.
That depends if you agree with the parallels I made between the two films.
The American version is a lot shorter, but not nearly as poetic. The American version is also less bloody. Kurosawa loves to cut people in half it seems.
Amazon hasit on VHS for $29.95, but I would wait and spend the same amount on the DVD when it comes out. Criterion is releasing the entire Kurosawa oeuvre on DVD a disc at a time, so ToB should be coming out soon.