Akira Kurosawa - The Samurai Collection [DVD]

To begin, obviously these are all brilliant movies, an almost perfect collection (but why no Rashomon? I guess the bandit isn't a samurai...).

However, there are two issues with the particular versions presented:
(1) Seven Samurai is the standard UK c.3h10m edit, which is c.20m shorter than the full Japanese version (or so I understand, I've only ever seen this version though myself).
(2) Yojimbo is supposed to be in anamorphic widescreen, according to the box, but isn't. It's widescreen but in 4:3 format with the result that it plays in a box in the middle of the screen on a modern TV (you can zoom in using the aspect ratio function on your telly, but that's not ideal as it reduces sharpness).

Basically, I get the impression that this is just a reboxing of several previous DVD releases together, rather than any kind of definitive / remastered type release. Don't be afraid to buy, as these are all awesome films, but do be aware that there are some mild issues.

This was a bit of an indulgence purchase - I already own the films on a variety of formats, accordingly it is a review of two halves:

If, like me, your Kurosawa collection is a bit ramshackle, (some VHS backed up onto DVD, some DVDs) then this represents a nice opportunity to replace them with a nicely presented box set, slimline cases. Good notes, better than on some of the VHS cassettes.

If you don't know about these films, then this boxed set is a good value opportunity to see how Kurosawa borrowed the great film making traditions of the US, where they were forgotten so had to be borrowed back again.

As the titles suggest these are set in feudal Japan, four role model films used a basis for for the golden "Western" period, two of which were direct copies

Seven Samurai remade as The Magnificent Seven
Hidden Fortress
Yojimbo remade as A Fist Full of Dollars
Sanjuro (a sort of sequel to Yojimbo)

and Throne of Blood : Macbeth (and if you like that then get King Lear, Ran

The films are so good you stop noticing they are subtitled.

Akira Kurosawa - The Samurai Collection is a set of 5 films containing some of the greatest films ever made. The films are in Japanese and have English subtitling. The subtitles are excellent and use some really quite complex and archaic English words when describing different ranks and careers of the feudal era which helps to set the films in time. There are a couple of Extras in the collection but this is a set about the outstanding film content. The picture quality is excellent with barely any flickering.

The first disc contains The Seven Samurai - rightly lauded as among the finest films of all-time. The disc also contains a short academic analysis of the film and a couple of written notes. The film itself is utterly magnificent. A village of farmers are under threat from bandits in feudal Japan. The farmers hatch a plan to hire some of the notorious Samurai caste to protect them from the bandits. The two castes of farmer and of samurai forge an unlikely alliance to eventually fight back against the bandits.

Seven Samurai is categorised as an action film but the reason it is so well received is because it is a character film. The Seven are complex characters, each driven by slightly different motivation and each representing a facet of the Way of the Warrior. Stoic Kambei represents the very best of Bushido - honour, dignity, and tremendous skill. Kambei's character is introduced early on as he seeks to save a child from the clutches of a kidnapper. The symbolic top-knot cutting to help achieve his goal places Kambei instantly as a sympathetic character with a strong moral conviction. This one simple act sets up Kambei in the audience's mind and is filled with rich Japanese cultural/historical reference.

The brilliance of Kursawa's characterisation in this film is truly incredible. Seven Samurai is a long film, clocking in at 190 minutes but that is part of what makes it so great. There is time to build the character depth in a way that so rarely happens. The pacing of Japanese cinema is generally slower than Hollywood fare but there is not a lost moment in Seven Samurai. The first act of the film in which the Seven Samurai characters are introduced is itself a masterpiece.

Following Kambei's recruitment by the villagers, the remaining six eventually come on board. Katsushiro as the young apprentice to Kambei is driven by passion. He wants to join with Kambei because it is Kambei who represents the true code of Bushido. It is not for self or monetary gain that Katsushiro pleads for Kambei's sensei-ship but for the honour of being alongside a true Samurai. That same passion later gets Katsushiro into trouble when he finds love for the first time. Kambei is a character with a past. That past is referenced implicitly rather than explicitly which is genious. Old friend Shichiroji shares jokes and tales with Kambei that build the relationship in the audience's mind and also add further depth to Kambei's realistic manner.

Gorobei as second-in-charge keeps up a nice banter in the early going and is clearly keen on morale as much as anything. His recruitment of Heihachi is good fun with actor Minoru Chiaki showing admirable wood-chopping technique until Gorobei comes round to distract him with a dangerous offer of a job. Heihachi is described as being of a fun nature but this mostly comes into play because he is the first of the Samurai to fall.

Master swordsman Kyozo is an artist. His chosen art-form is swordsmanship. The comment in the Extras that actor Seiji Miyaguchi had never really held a sword before Seven Samurai is incredible. As a martialist, Miyaguchi is magnificent. His body movement is so graceful and light-footed, he has exceptional balance. As a character, Kyozo does not speak much and is admired for his actions rather than for his words.

The most enigmatic of the Samurai is Kikuchiyo played by the legendary Toshiro Mifune. Kikuchiyo does not conform to the Samurai traditions, he is at times brooding and at other times erratic or comedic. Kikuchiyo's place in Japanese society as a farmer who is pretending to be a Samurai gives him an insight into both castes that none of the other characters possess. The scene in which Kikuchiyo both decries the deviousness of the farmers and the viciousness of the Samurai is one of film's greatest monologues for the many layers of meaning it contains.

Great characters are the best way to create a great film and Seven Samurai achieves that above and beyond pretty much any other film. The characterisation works because it is delivered by some awe-inspiring performances. Takashi Shimura as Kambei is a fantastic cinematic lead. He is strong and determined but has constant touches of humanity about him. It is a strikingly powerful performance and worthy of the lead role in one of the greatest films of all time. The supporting cast are also strong with the emotional outbursts produced by Toshiro Mifune being a particular delight. Mifune is rightly regarded as a truly superb actor. The other Samurai are all very well acted and the villagers are also strong. The remarkable facial features of Kokuten Kado as the patriach Gisaku make him extremely memorable.

The poignant ending of the film with Kambei's last line is grippingly thought-provoking. The final showdown with the bandits is a little deflating but in the main the action is terrific. Seven Samurai is an epic in the finest traditions of great battle movies, the cinematography is utterly magnificent, the music is complementary. The black and white colour probably does make it look better than in full colour. Above all though Seven Samurai is an extroardinary character study that every fan of cinema needs to have seen.

The second film in the collection is Throne Of Blood which is a re-imagining of Macbeth. Throne is one of the better Macbeth reconstructions and in moving away from more historical characters breaks with the distasteful pro-Stuart propaganda of Shakespeare's distorted version. Macbeth himself is played by Toshiro Mifune who puts in a remarkably distinct performance from his role in Seven Samurai. The plot is pretty much exactly the same as Macbeth though the scenes are different. There is not much direct recreation of classic lines and instead it is the characters that are recreated. Lady Macbeth is quite a disturbing visage with make-up and adornments associated with feudal Japan that cause her to look quite unnatural. Her picking away at Macbeth's paranoia is deliciously delivered.

There is a clear Japaneseness of Throne of Blood including the replacement of the Three Witches with a spirit. The message the spirit delivers is exactly the same as Shakespeare's version but her etherealness is much greater.

The scenery of Throne of Blood is great. The dense fog captures the same fear of the wilderness that seems to have existed in Dark Ages Britain. The mansion and castle are nicely designed and create a place and time that shifts the audience's thoughts away from the original setting of the tale. The acting is strong and Mifune in particular puts in a terrific Macbeth. It is a worthwhile addition to this Kurosawa collection.

The third film of the five is The Hidden Fortress and is arguably the most under-rated of the collection. Fortress is a wonderful film of survival and humour. The film opens with two survivors from a losing side in a war. Tahei and Mataschichi are hilariously funny. Their spats with one another are terrific fun, they clearly have known each other for a very long time so appreciate the company but also know each other's faults and weaknesses. They bicker as an old married couple might but with the experiences they have been through, they share a close bond. The comedy between Tahei and Mataschichi works throughout the movie and their characters are on display without deviation. The plot twists that turn around the pair are responded to in a way that seems to genuinely be their nature.

Toshiro Mifune plays a General in Fortress and a very noble one at that. It is again a very different character from those on display in the previous two films in the collection. Mifune is the leader, he is resourceful and brave as well as being impeccably loyal. Having been on the losing side of the war, it is his character who must preserve his side's lineage. Extracting the princess through hostile enemy lines to freedom is the difficult plot quest he and his two new allies must follow.

The Hidden Fortress in question is perhaps a reference that is a little hard to follow. The gold hidden in sticks is a way of preventing looting but the two comedy leads find that gold relatively easily and it stokes their desire. It is this goldlust that drives Tahei and Mataschichi as much as anything except survival. They have a talent for surviving and a desire for wealth. These two basic features come to be understood by General Makabe.

The willful Princess Yuki is a warrior woman from the cinematic days before such became commonplace. Her gait is much more that of a man than of a woman and the character prefers the outdoor life to being kept in the Hidden Fortress for her own safety. It is highly amusing then when Makabe decides the best way to cross enemy lines is with her pretending to be a mute. That Mifune is able to demonstrate an inner delight at this thought with barely any perceptible facial movement is absolutely top class acting. Mifune is cast in the straight man role for the only time in the collection and he pulls it off expertly.

The acting is again excellent from much of the rest of the cast especially Tahei and Mataschichi played by Minoru Chiachi and Kamatari Fujiwara respectively. Fujiwara in particular is hilarious. Read more ›