J Paul Johnson
Few films in cinema have the appeal or influence of Akira Kurosawa’s beloved epic Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai). Though its story—that of fearful sixteenth-century farmers who hire a ragtag group or rootless samurai to defend them from marauding bandits—is highly specific to a certain time and place, its themes and appeal are timeless and universal. From this simple conceit Kurosawa adroitly weaves a three-hour-plus thrill-ride of emotion and action as, first, the loosely knit defenders assemble into a respectable fighting force and a web of subplots weaves together a parade of human emotions, and, in a thrilling finale, an extended battle sequence features clever strategy, fierce fighting, and technical wizardry. Seven Samurai is practically a film school in and of itself, a film that has inspired and influenced multiple generations of filmmakers.
If any film ever were to deserve a thorough remastering in 4K, surely it is Kurosawa’s grand saga, and a new 4K UHD three-disc special edition from The Criterion Collection does not disappoint. The release is no surprise, following Janus Films and Toho Archives’ touring restoration that debuted at Cannes last May. As expected, the restoration is, as nearly everyone who saw the it in theaters last year reported, a delight. The 4K UHD disc shows every strand of fabric and hair, every crease, speck, pock, bead you can imagine, lending an immaculate crispness to the image. It’s like being transported, with 20/20 vision, to 16th century Japan to be wholly immersed in a gripping tale of good and evil, courage and hope.
Kurosawa’s first act focuses on introducing characters and establishing conflicts by orchestrating telephoto-lens close-ups cut with slay camera movements and deep-focus wide shots in an impressively detailed chiaroscuro-lit interiors and bright exteriors. Later, in battle sequences, flurries of swords, spears, and arrows fly across the screen in rain and mud while the ronin do battle with bandits on horses. Even amidst the thrill of the action sequences there are astonishing transitional shots and throughout, impressive ensemble acting. Under the calm leadership of the aged samurai master Kambei (frequent Kurosawa collaborator and star of both Ikiru and Godzilla Takashi Shimura) and the assistance of his handsome young apprentice-lieutenant Shino (Keiko Tsushima), the seven samurai assemble into a a true team, with every member given dimensionality and purpose.
It is, though, if anyone’s film, Toshiro Mifune’s. The legendary actor (Rashomon, Throne of Blood, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and dozens more) never disappointed in a Kurosawa film, and here in Seven Samurai, his journey—from outcast misfit whose only talent is mocking others to valuable (if flawed) soldier dedicated to a cause bigger than himself—is the film’s greatest. Even in Seven Samurai’s ensemble Mifune delivers one of cinema’s most memorable performances, displaying a range of emotions alongside his trademark physical action. And speaking of action, Seven Samurai brings plenty, with a climactic battle that features several memorable and often-imitated sequences, making the most of its complex, arduous production: Kurosawa refused to shoot at Toho’s regular soundstages, preferring to design his own ambitious set, and the production required 148 days of shooting spread out over a full year.
Criterion’s new 4K UHD version was digitally restored from the original 35mm positive (the original negative no longer exists) by Toho Archive Co. with assistance from Prasad Corporation, with the original uncompressed monaural soundtrack and an optional 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Somewhat surprisingly, there is scant information available about the restoration process here: there is no before-and-after featurette and next to nothing about the process in the supplemental materials, especially in contrast to the comparatively detailed notes Criterion provided in its 2010 Blu-ray. It’s almost as if Criterion is asserting the quality of the remaster will speak entirely for itself. And that, with its immaculate detail and impressive tonal range, it does.
Special Features
As has been the case with most of their remastered upgrades—both from DVD to Blu-ray and from Blu-ray to 4K UHD—Criterion leaves in place the extant supplements. Only occasionally is something new added to the menu, and in this case, the Collection has left well enough alone. Here, the supplement archive dates all the way back to 1988! The Seven Samurai is one of its oldest spines, going back to its laserdisc days, at #2 and following only Renoir’s Grand Illusion. This three-disc special edition offers one 4K UHD disc featuring the remastered film and two Blu-ray discs, one with the following supplements, packaged nearly exactly as they had been, with the same cover art, in the 2010 Blu-ray release.
To say so is not to quibble so much as to state bare fact. The supplemental features are, still, comprehensive and far-reaching, offering an engaging and informative context for the main feature.
Audio commentary: Scholars’ Roundtable. Recorded for the Criterion Blu-ray/DVD special edition in 2005 and 2006, scholars and critics David Desser, Joan Mellen, Stephen Prince, Tony Rayns, and Donald Richie discuss the film’s storied and complex production, its form and technique, and its continuing legacy and influence. The track is less a roundtable than a lineup, with each commenter taking a turn at bat with a specific segment of the film, with no interaction or debate. Each segment, though, has its own particular focus and purpose, making it an excellent track.
Audio commentary: Michael Jeck. Professor Jeck’s commentary was recorded in 1988 for the first 1990 Criterion Laserdisc version of The Seven Samurai and has appeared on each Criterion iteration since. It still makes for an excellent primer to the film.
It Is Wonderful to Create. Originally created as a part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create, this 50-minute episode focuses explicitly on Seven Samurai with interviews of several of Kurosawa’s collaborators: writer Masayuki Yui, screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto, director Hiromichi Horikawa, set decorator Koichi Hamamura, script supervisor Teruyo Nogami, lighting technician Mitsuo Kaneko, and actors Seiki Miyaguchi and Yoshio Tsuchiya, among others. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles.
My Life in Cinema. In a two-hour interview filmed for the Directors Guild of Japan in 1993, featuring Kurosawa and fellow director Nagisa Oshima discuss Kurosawa’s life, career, and legacy. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles.
Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences. This excellent hourlong documentary, produced exclusively for Criterion, leans into samurai history and culture, especially in regards to their importance to Japanese art and cinema, based on interviews with Tony Rayns, David Desser, Donald Richie, and others. In English and Japanese, with optional English subtitles.
