Seven Samurai (DVD) (3-Disc Remastered Edition) (The Criterion Collection) (US Version) DVD Region 1

With a duration of well over three hours, Kurosawa Akira's Seven Samurai might turn some viewers away. However, those who have time to spare, are likely to marvel at this striking tale and discover that time seemingly passes by in the blink of an eye. At the outset of the movie, the viewer is introduced to a poor farming village whose inhabitants discover to their shock that bandits are on their way to loot their homes. After a discussion with the village elder, they decide to hire samurai to protect their lives and belongings. The only problem is that the village is so poor that the payback for this dangerous feat is very low. Therefore finding helpful samurai who are willing to risk their lives for as little as a bowl of rice turns into a seemingly impossible task.

Kurosawa's exemplary film study about the diverse nature of man offers splendid performances, especially by the lead actors Shimura Takashi, who plays the wise commander Shimada, and Mifune Toshiro in his charismatic role as reckless, but often mocked Kikuchiyo. Shot in black and white, the viewer's attention is held by the movie's serious theme of sole survival during which the samurai's clever warring tactics and excellence in man-to-man combat are sharply contrasted by the farmers' merciless executions of prisoners. Skillfully crafted from the slow-paced beginning to the breathtaking final battle and accompanied by Hayasaka Fumio's excellent score, this influential film without a doubt has to be considered one of Kurosawa's best works. Both a moral tale and grand-scale cinema, Kurosawa's Seven Samurai presents a milestone in the history of film that promises to weave a magic spell around old and new film lovers alike.