The Film
Director Akira Kurosawa was essentially making a "Western" when he crafted what is arguably his finest film, Seven Samurai. The irony is that when it was remade in America it was done as a true Western as The Magnificent Seven - and remade again as Battle Beyond the Stars and used as the basis for many other tales where a handful of honorable soldiers defend the downtrodden. The original remains the best version; a village is being terrorized and plundered by bandits, and with little to offer besides food and a chance to do something noble, seven samurai are recruited to defend it. The characters are also not the caricatures of later action films, and their reasons are made clear enough, while the film balances the build up with the payoff of some intense action sequences. The seven don't really "ride" in this one, but they display the way of the warrior and then some.
The Picture
The Blu-ray preserves the original 1.33:1 presentation of the film, which was also shot in black and white. While it does look a bit better than the previous VHS or even the Criterion DVD version, this remains far from the best-looking Blu-ray. In fact, some sequences have so much noise that it appears it is raining! The black levels are very good, and some scenes are sharp and crisp, but alas one the thing the seven couldn't save was the picture quality.
The Sound
The disc was remastered in DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound, but the film retains the original monaural soundtrack as well. This film never had the most impressive audio, and at times the dialog doesn't match sync with the speaker - suggesting some sloppiness in the postproduction ADR and foley work. The overall balance is better than the DVD and the music and effects don't overpower the dialog - which is a moot point anyway if you don't speak Japanese.
The Extras
While Criterion couldn't do much with the picture and sound of the aging source material, and we really can't fault them for that, they make up for that in the extensive bonus features, including audio commentaries from several notable experts on Japanese cinema. This package includes a full second disc of extras, including a 50 minute making of that is part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create; and a two hour conversation with Kurosawa from 1993. Additional bonus material includes a documentary on the origins and influences of the film, as well as on samurai culture. Theatrical trailers and a teaser are included, along with production stills, images of posters and behind-the-scenes photos. If this weren't enough Criterion made sure to include a booklet (it really a book more than a booklet) with essays on the film and its makers as well as an interview with star Toshiro Mifune from 1993. In all, this is an impressive collection. Criterion normally does a great job and this one sets the bar even higher.
Final Thoughts
This is easily the definitive samurai film. It lacks the hooky swordplay of later knockoffs, and features a story that is timeless (which is obvious from the remakes and borrowed storylines). It is a shame the film doesn't look a bit better, but given the age, Criterion did what could be done and a whole lot more.
Product Details
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