by Anthony O'Connor
Worth: Discs: 1, The Film: 4.5/5, Overall: 9/10
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Kamatari FujiwaraDaisuke KatoSeiji Miyaguchi, Yoshio Inaba
Intro:
…a timeless masterpiece that belongs on the movie shelf of every right-thinking cinephile.
There’s always a fear when revisiting the classics of cinema, a persistent inner tension – the question emerges from the back of your mind: “Will this be as good as I remember? Will this movie scale the heights of its own reputation?” Quite often the answer, unfortunately, is no. The nostalgia goggles slip off, and you realise that this once-beloved film is dated. Even relatively recent films can suffer at the unkind hands of time, and you’ll lament, “Jeez, that hasn’t aged well.” Your humble word janitor felt such trepidation prior to watching the new Madman release of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, considered by many to be one of the best movies of all time. But seriously, how well can a black and white Japanese film from 1954 – that comes in at a chonky three hours, 27 minutes no less – age in the context of a 2025 viewing?
The answer, in short, is really bloody spectacularly well!
Seven Samurai is an epic story set in Japan in 1568, centering around a village that is destined to be raided by a bandit gang. The village elders decide that they need to hire some samurai to save their lives and convince Kambei (Takashi Shimura), a world-weary rōnin, to join their cause. Kambei enlists the help of five other samurai and one charismatic pretender, Kikuchiyo (Toshiro Mifune). From there, the action proceeds at an exquisitely deliberate pace and culminates in an epic battle and bittersweet ending that still packs a genuine emotional punch some 71 years after its premiere.
If the set up for Seven Samurai sounds familiar, that’s because it’s been remade, homaged and straight-up ripped-off oodles of times. From The Magnificent Seven (1960 and 2016) to Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) to A Bug’s Life (1998) to literally dozens of others, Seven Samurai remains one of the most influential films of all time.
The thing is, though, “influential” doesn’t mean entertaining, yet somehow Kurosawa’s classic is that in spades. A number of factors contribute to this, firstly ol’ mate’s direction is absolutely peerless. Every frame of this film feels like a painting, meticulously staged and beautifully rendered (particularly in this new 4K version). The characters too are so vivid and engaging that the gulf of time and culture that separates an audience from this material is bridged with much alacrity. This is a universal story, with themes recognisable to every living human, and it resonates strongly. It’s also interesting to see how much Kurosawa’s directorial style influenced George Lucas (particularly the original Star Wars trilogy), Steven Spielberg, Sergio Leone, Stanley Kurbrick and, oh look, just about every great director you can name.
Honestly, the only thing dated about Seven Samurai are the action scenes which, while fairly elaborate for the time, feel a tad perfunctory by modern standards. This isn’t a deal breaker by any means as this nuanced, textured story is about much more than the action, but it’s worth noting.
Now, it’s about this time in the review where we switch over to the Extras and talk about the goodies included with the disc. However, this is a bare bones release that contains precisely zero extras (and Madman’s feature-rich version has long since sold out). On the one hand, this is definitely a bummer, as the rich history behind the film is fascinating. However, you do get one of the best films ever made for an extremely affordable price. So, if you find yourself an avid film collector but a bit on the povvo side (and we feel you, reader, we really do), then this is the perfect way to own arguably Kurosawa’s best film in a stunning 4K transfer without having to sell one of your kidneys.
Put simply, Seven Samurai is a timeless masterpiece that belongs on the movie shelf of every right-thinking cinephile.
