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Seven Samurai
[Blu-ray 4K]
Blu-ray ALL - United Kingdom - British Film Institute Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (6th December 2024). |
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The Film
 "Seven Samurai" 「七人の侍」 (1954) Exactly ten years ago this November, I was recruited here to lend my knowledge and services to the Rewind DVDCompare database. It was a fairly tumultuous time in my life, as a divorce was being finalized and I had also received word that my workplace of over a decade was planning to close its doors in about a year’s time. The site was a nice way to use my film and home media knowledge for a good cause, and it helped with some sort of stability for my life when I needed positivity the most. When then-site owner Samuel Scott (who passed away in 2020 at the young age of 36) was asking if any staff members knew people who were looking for writing disc reviews for the site, I asked if we the staff could do some ourselves. I didn't have any credentials to my name as a write, and so in order to establish myself, I had to write reviews from my personal collection of discs, deciding to concentrate on films and discs that were not commonly reviewed titles. Rediscovered gems from the Korean Film Archive, music related titles of some favorite artists, and some indie label titles that deserved a larger notice were a number of early reviews that I had done here. Once I had a number of reviews published, I was able to review discs that were sent to us from the labels directly. I made myself a goal that after a year, I would tackle a personal review by reviewing my all time favorite film, “Seven Samurai”. But when the time came, I had more discs piled up so I decided to move that goal to 2 years. Then 3 years… Then 4… The goalpost kept getting further away and postponed. But the stars seemed to align when “Seven Samurai” was announced for a re-release by the BFI, a label that I’ve had a close relationship with for a number of years through this site, Their 4K UltraHD Blu-ray release coinciding with my tenth anniversary at Rewind could not have been timed any better, and it only seemed right that I would finally be able to share my experience with the film in a way that is a bit different from my usual reviews. My initial idea was not to give a thorough review of the film but to have it be about how the film impacted me. When the BFI got in touch with me about contributing an article for their included booklet, it was a good opportunity to have it published there, as well as publishing it here for the site as originally intended. Below is more or less my contribution to the BFI’s booklet, which is about how I encountered the film, my reaction to it, and how it changed my life. Note that the Japanese names are written in their Japanese form with the family name first and given name second. Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, I watched a lot of movies at home. My dad introduced me to a number of movies with videotaped recordings from television, from “Ghostbusters”, “Back to the Future”, and other staples of the time. My first introduction to “Star Wars” was a taped broadcast in Japan with my dad. Unfortunately for my American dad, it was dubbed in Japanese, but I was in awe and was convinced that the actors were just normally speaking Japanese the whole time. There were also video rentals, though it was difficult finding places that stocked Betamax tapes, which was the choice my dad made for the format war. It was not just modern movies, as I remember watching old black and white movies airing on Sunday mornings in America, and I would look through the TV guide in the newspaper to see familiar names like Humphrey Bogart, Spencer Tracy, Basil Rathbone, and so on. Watching movies as a kid and later as a teen was a fun experience more than anything else. I especially liked watching short featurettes that showed the behind the scenes process which were featured on entertainment shows or in between movies on cable networks, getting a glimpse of how they were made. When my dad bought a Sony Handicam, I remember using it with family and friends to shoot wacky and silly things ourselves, though nothing to the point of serious productions. In high school I took video production classes and learned about writing, editing, lighting and other techniques, though again it was about having fun with no experience and no budgets. Even though I learned about how television production and films were produced, I still didn’t see them as works of art, even with the craftsmanship on display. I liked to watch many different kinds of movies, but there were some genres that I couldn’t get into. Samurai films, western films, and other period films were difficult as I couldn’t relate. Samurai television dramas were frequently broadcast in Japan, and I remember my grandmother and other family members watching them. But the old language, the archaic manners of the characters didn’t make me feel enjoyed. The same with westerns being in a setting where I had never been to or experienced. One name I recall being mentioned a number of times was Kurosawa Akira. People who learned that I was half Japanese and liked movies would immediately say, “Oh, you must like Kurosawa’s movies.” Finding out that he made a number of samurai movies, it was no surprise that I had never heard of his name or seen any of his movies. I also wasn’t particularly familiar with the names of film directors in general at the time. It was while I was living in Thailand that Kurosawa passed away on September 6th, 1998 at the age of 88. It was major international news and friends were shocked to know that I had never seen films by him. “How can you call yourself Japanese and have never watched Seven Samurai?” As it happens on every occasion, it’s when the artist passes away that interest by the public is at its peak. It was also becoming embarrassing to admit my lack of knowledge of his works. I needed to know what I was missing, but finding his works in Thailand at the time was not particularly easy, even at the video stores. A few months later, I moved to New York and lived with my dad’s older brother for a short period of time. Like my dad, my uncle also liked watching movies. Possibly more than my dad. Trips to rent movies on VHS were frequent, and he introduced me to many things I wouldn’t have watched otherwise. War movies like “Apocalypse Now” and “Gunga Din”, B-grade and Z-grade horror and science fiction via “Mystery Science Theater 3000” became genuine interests for me thanks to his varied tastes. It was at the local video store in which they had an international section, and there was a copy of “Seven Samurai” on the shelf. Two VHS tapes and a runtime of three hours and thirty minutes, it was a monstrosity as I had never seen a movie at such a length before, but I was curious. What was it about this director and this film in particular? I rented it and watched it alone in their basement, and it forever changed the way I viewed films from that point onward. “Seven Samurai” was truly the first film I saw in which I became obsessed with how a film was created from start to finish. The way the opening shot was composed from a distance and the use of shadows to give mystery to who the men on horseback were. The use of closeups on characters and the use of long distance shots. Slow motion being used in certain death scenes. The heavy sound of the rain in the final battle. Everything that I took for granted in how films were made was heightened entirely. There was much more thought put into every single shot. Although I previously avoided the samurai genre, I was not only mesmerized by the filmmaking process, but was genuinely fascinated by the story and the characters. Even with the large cast of the seven hero samurai and the numerous people in the village, each character was distinctly unique. And with a story that featured action, comedy, suspense, romance, and drama, it was a production that had everything blended together perfectly. Even though I was watching something that was made about a half a century ago, everything seemed new and fresh, even if many of the techniques used in the film were not necessarily new to my eyes. When the intermission title card appeared, I couldn’t take a break. I quickly swapped to the second videotape to finish the feature. It was almost a spiritual awakening. As much as I had liked watching movies since childhood, this was the one that made me look at the craftsmanship and the filmmaking process deeper than ever. This was early in the days of the internet in which Wikipedia or other sources were not around for more in depth knowledge on the background of the film or the filmmaker. From this film it made me seek out his other works and it was fascinating to see the director’s trademarks elsewhere. It was of course fun to see the same names of cast and crew members on other productions, but also similarities in framing, pacing, and storytelling through other samurai films like “Yojimbo” and “Sanjuro”, as well as in the modern set films like “Ikiru” and “The Bad Sleep Well”. The impact of “Seven Samurai” made me rank and compare all movies I saw subsequently with that as the standard of excellence. This was not only with Kurosawa films but for films in general. It made me realize what points make a film excellent while also seeing what elements make a film fail. Kurosawa also led me to seek out films by other filmmakers to witness how their works related to one another with their signature techniques. When I learned that a major influence of Kurosawa was director John Ford, it made me want to look through Ford’s filmography, including his westerns. This also led to seeing Sergio Leone’s westerns which were heavily influenced by Kurosawa, and my uncle was especially happy to show me “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” which was one of his favorite films. My eyes and my mind opened up to genres that I had previously avoided and it was from there that I was able to connect the dots to other works. I was able to experience the works that influenced Kurosawa, and also the films that Kurosawa influenced, as well as other media such as manga and video games. While I was able to appreciate the importance of Kurosawa, it was also important to note the teamwork by the entire cast and crew. The iconic score cues by Hayasaka Fumio. The bold camerawork by Nakai Asakazu. The creative script co-written by Kurosawa with Hashimoto Shinobu and Oguni Hideo. The characters each had their unique personalities and touches. The brash animalistic behavior of Mifune Toshiro as Kikuchiyo. The commanding and heartfelt presence of Shimura Takashi as the lead samurai Shimada Kambei. The quiet, calm and deadly force of Kyuzo played by Miyaguchi Seiji. The emotional pitfalls of Shino being forced to hide her gender through Tsushima Keiko’s performance. Like the theme of the film, it is not about a single person, but working as a team to overcome the odds. I might not have become a film lover or a film critic if it hadn’t been for Kurosawa’s films and it is always a pleasure to discuss any of his works. I’ve watched many of his films multiple times not just for studying purposes but for pleasure and enjoyment as well. “Seven Samurai” has been the most rewatched over the years, from VHS to DVD to Blu-ray to theatrical revival screenings and now 4K UHD, and with each version there is something quite magical to say the least. I owe a lot to Kurosawa for my appreciation for the world of filmmaking. It also goes without saying, but I must give my utmost thanks to my dad Jim and his brother Tim. My dad died in 2021 and my uncle died in 2007 and I was never able to express to them directly about the impact they had on my movie watching life. Belatedly to them, I’m forever grateful. I could easily go on and on about every instance of the film and what makes it remarkable. But again, the film has been discussed, dissected, and analyzed by countless scholars, critics, and fans that it would seem that I wouldn’t be able to add anything hugely significant to it. “Seven Samurai” is essential viewing, and it’s solidly at the top of my favorite films list for multiple reasons, and will continue to stay there. Who knows? There may be a film that could overtake that position someday but it’s highly unlikely. One thing is for sure and that is its significance for me personally, and this new release adds another chapter to that saga. Although there have been several versions of “Seven Samurai” in existence from the start, home video releases have always had the original uncut 207 minute version with the original theatrical intermission title card and music. There were shortened versions such as a general release version for Japanese audiences in 1954 and various shortened international theatrical releases. It has seen numerous re-releases theatrically and on every home video format available over the years, and made its 4K UltraHD Blu-ray debut in 2023 by Toho in Japan. This was followed by near simultaneous English friendly releases by Criterion for North America and the BFI for the United Kingdom in November 2024. Note this is a region ALL 4K UltraHD Blu-ray + region B bonus Blu-ray set
Video
The BFI presents the film in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio in 2160p HEVC with HDR10/Dolby Vision grading. The film starts with an eight second text screen stating it is a 4K restoration by Toho. The original camera negative is considered lost and the material closest to the negative, 35mm fine grain elements were used for the 4K restoration, which was completed in 2016 by Toho. The 297,406 individual frames were scanned in 4K resolution and restored digitally, removing numerous instances of dust, debris, and scratches, as well as correcting warped frames, stabilizing image wobble, leveling inconsistent grey levels, and overall cleaning the film as much as possible. In comparison to previous transfers in HD and in SD, the BFI’s 4K restoration corrects many of the flaws found in previous restorations. The wipe transitions used to showcase a major jump in quality as they used a lesser element during those instances, but the restoration has made the image quality very close to seamless. Some portions that seemed shaky, such as the opening credits are still and sharp without any signs of wobble or warping. It isn’t perfect, as there are imperfections that remain in the image. On close inspection there are some minor dust, speckles and instances of gate hair that remain. As for the greyscale, there is improvement here, which older transfers had much brighter whites while this 4K restoration puts emphasis on greys with the darker elements, with faces and wardrobe being more pronounced with detail. Film grain is present and has been managed well. Note that the film was issued with SDR grading for the 4K UHD releases in Japan by Toho and North America by Criterion while this BFI release features an exclusive HDR10/Dolby Vision grading. Like the Criterion SDR / BFI HDR10/Dolby Vision releases of “The Seventh Seal” on 4K UHD a few years ago, there will be some differences in brightness and greyscale for the black and white image, with HDR10/Dolby Vision having an upper hand with its expanded scale. It’s been said that the Japanese UHD release had additional filtering applied to the image for a smoother appearance which controversially lessens film grain and give a slightly waxier look to the image. The North American Criterion's 4K transfer is said to have some slight differences in sharpness and black levels, but natural film grain intact. The BFI’s transfer has a hands-off approach that has a truer more filmic look while also respecting the digital restoration, and it’s an absolutely solid looking transfer. The film is the full uncut version with the five minute intermission title card and its music cue, with a runtime of 206:58.
Audio
Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 The original mono track is presented here in lossless form. The sound has also been remastered from original elements, removing numerous amounts of damage such as hiss, pops, and crackle for a smoother listening experience. As stated in the bonus features, the soundtrack had its limitations with the technology at the time, with trouble capturing the full aspect of dialogue, effects, and music. Kurosawa even stated that Mifune’s gruff natural voice was always powerful in person but sadly muffled and distorted when recording, making it hard to understand his dialogue much of the time in his early films such as this. The limitations of the audio of the period does have fidelity issues, with the music sounding compressed and dialogue sounding flat, but this is inherent to the original materials. The remastered audio sounds quite clean without issues of damage, and being well balanced throughout. Toho did create a surround mix for its later theatrical revivals and was featured on a number of home video releases on DVD and Blu-ray, which featured a more spread out experience with the music and controversially adding additional sound effects such as arrows being shot and enhancing the gunshot sounds. The BFI has only included the authentic mono track on their release. There are optional English subtitles for the main feature in a white font. They are well timed, though this new translation does leave out a few exclamations and names being called which are minor issues, though there was a bad spelling issue in which the character of Shichiroji’s name was mistakenly spelled “Scichiroji” in one instance. In addition, there are some instances where commas and periods are missing, and there are cases where character names being called or simple words like “yes” (“hai”) not being translated, which are minor issues to say the least. It seems “Seven Samurai” has received so many different subtitle translations in English it is hard to count how many I’ve seen in my life. There are some passages in this release I felt lessened the impact with the translation, and there are also some improvements. (The oddest might have been a Janus Films revival screening in the early 2000s where they added some F-bombs in their redone translation.) Overall this new translation is good, though there are some issues to be found.
Extras
This is a two disc set with the film and some extras on the 4K UHD Blu-ray and a standard Blu-ray with additional bonus features. Note the 4K UHD is region ALL while the bonus Blu-ray is region B. The BFI are simultaneously releasing a 2-disc Blu-ray set which replaces the UHD disc for a standard Blu-ray with the film in HD with identical extras for people that have not upgraded to 4K. DISC ONE (Blu-ray 4K) Audio commentary with Adrian Martin (2024) This new and exclusive commentary from critic Adrian Martin has a lot of information given in the very lengthy runtime, though he notes from the start as he has had in a number of his commentaries that he will not be giving full on biographies and such for the cast and crew which are fairly standard practice for scholarly commentaries. Instead he discusses about the various versions of the film that were produced for national and international audiences, Kurosawa’s staging of the actors and the action, the scriptwriting process, details on how characters are introduced, the creation of the characters, the creative freedom, the portrayal of women, notes on contemporary and retrospective views including some negative ones, and much more. While he does give a lot of information, there are some moments in which he cites the obvious with on-screen action and the characters, rather than on the historical background of the film, and this may dismay some listeners but he is up front about how he will take the commentary’s direction. There is one gripe with the pronunciation as he continuously pronounces the director’s name as “aKEEra kuROSSawa”, rather than the flat Japanese intonation of Kurosawa. In English the director’s name is usually pronounced “aKEEra kuroSAAwa”, but this is also incorrect. The director’s name in Japanese (with family name first, given name second) is pronounced “kurosawa Akira” with only the “A” in his given name having a raised intonation. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Stills Gallery (6:10) A silent automated slideshow gallery of posters, conceptual designs, behind the scenes stills, and promotional stills. in 2160p HEVC DISC TWO (Blu-ray) "Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: Seven Samurai" 2002 documentary (49:08) The “It Is Wonderful to Create” documentary series was produced by Toho in 2002 for their DVD releases of Kurosawa’s films on the DVD format, and feature an incredible roster of interviewees with the cast and crew. It basically tells the story chronologically, from the writing process, the discarded opening sequence, creating the characters, the production and its issues such as the fire scenes and the final battle, and more. Some of the interview segments are from vintage interviews (such as from Kurosawa or Miyagawa who had already passed away) while most were newly conducted for the DVD release. Absolutely a wonderful piece that is well edited, well sequenced, and not holding back on the troubles the production went through. It was produced in standard definition NTSC, and is presented in upscaled form here. Note this was originally available on the 2002 Toho DVD release. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles Selected Scenes with commentary by film historian Philip Kemp (1999) (20:15) A few selected scenes are shown while Kemp discusses topics such as the class structure of Japan at the time the film takes place, Kurosawa’s experience as an assistant director in his early years, about the creation of the score, the famous speech by Kikuchiyo and how it related to the atrocities of WWII just a decade before the film was made, the use of rain in the film, and more. There is one portion that Kemp states about the character Mifune played in the film “Seppuku”, but this is an error as he did not star in that film. He was actually talking about the character that actor Nakadai Tatsuya played. Note the scenes shown here use the 4K restoration transfer and have burned-in English subtitles for the film’s dialogue which is heard underneath Kemp’s commentary. The commentary was originally available on the 1999 BFI DVD release, though it was curiously missing from the 2013 UK Blu-ray release.. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.37:1, in English LPCM 2.0 stereo with burned-in English subtitles "The Art of Akira Kurosawa: An Interview with Tony Rayns" 2013 interview (48:36) This interview with noted critic Tony Rayns is a lengthy discussion on the life and art of Kurosawa. He discusses Kurosawa’s early career as an assistant and his move to director, the success of “Rashomon” internationally and the impact it had on his career, recalling meeting Kurosawa in 1981, a lengthy talk on “Seven Samurai” and its production and its legacy, about censorship in Japan during the war and post-war, Rayn’s first encounter watching the film on television on BBC, about Kurosawa’s later years, and more. It’s always a delight listening to Rayns with his encyclopedic knowledge and it is no different here, with some great insights and stories to hear. Note this was originally available on the 2013 BFI Blu-ray release. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles "My Life in Cinema: Akira Kurosawa" 1993 interview with Akira Kurosawa by filmmaker Nagisa Oshima (115:58) This lengthy conversation between Kurosawa and famed filmmaker Oshima Nagisa was produced by The Directors Guild of Japan, with Kurosawa discussing his life and his work. Talked about are his early days as a child, the influence his older brothers had, his days as an assistant director, about film censorship, working with multiple camera setups, choices for music, as well as some anecdotal tidbits for a number of films, and much more. Oshima does a great job moderating the conversation that doesn’t make it feel like a conducted interview and much more personal, and not going in a particular direction of chronology. It’s fantastic to hear Kurosawa reflect on so much with many details of past productions being fresh in his mind. Note this was first available on the US Criterion 2006 DVD of “Seven Samurai”. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Japanese LPCM 2.0 with optional English subtitles Original Theatrical Trailer (4:10) This Japanese trailer has plenty of spoilers including the number of samurai who will die and scenes from the epic final battle. It hasn’t been remastered so there are many examples of scratches and other damage, as well as slightly weak audio. While this is based on the original 1954 theatrical trailer, it is actually not the original. There is an additional title card at the end stating the theatrical release in November, as this is a trailer from the 1991 Japanese theatrical reissue, in which they reused the original trailer and added a card at the end. The trailer has been embedded below, courtesy of the BFI. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Japanese LPCM 2.0 with optional English subtitles 2024 Restoration Trailer (1:36) This is a newly created trailer by the BFI for the 4K restoration, with some new music and sound effect cues in a 5.1 soundscape. It certainly emphasizes the action along with many praising quotes from critics. The trailer has been embedded below, courtesy of the BFI. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.37:1, in Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 with burned-in English subtitles Book The first pressing includes a 76 page book. First is an essay by Philip Kemp with an overview of the film which has some additional information on the film which doesn’t overlap too much with his commentary track on the disc. Next is “Buttered Steak and Grilled Eel” by Tony Rayns on the film’s script, the production, and the themes. “A Network for Seven Samurai” by critic Cristina Álvarez López is next, on the impact that film had on cinema following its release. Then there is “Fumio Hayasaka: Kurosawa’s Musical Ace” by film music critic Charlie Brigden on the composer. Next is “Seven Samurai’s Rocky Road to Classic Status” by film critic Jasper Sharp on the film’s growth in reputation over the years. Then there is a review from the April 1955 issue of Monthly Film Bulletin by Gavin Lambert reprinted. Next is “Seven Samurai: Gateway into the Art of Filmmaking” by me, James-Masaki Ryan of all people. As stated above, it is a personal look at my encounter with the film and how life changing it was. Another vintage review is reprinted, this time by filmmaker Tony Richardson taken from the 1955 Spring issue of Sight & Sound. There are also special features information, transfer information, acknowledgements, and stills. As stated the film received its first 4K UHD release in Japan in 2023 by Toho, which had the film plus a stills gallery and two trailers as the sole extras. Oddly it does not carry over the making-of documentary that they produced for their DVD release in 2002. (This was also their case of the film on standard Blu-ray, not including the documentary.) The Criterion 4K release packages their existing 2010 2-disc Blu-ray and adds their new 4K UHD disc, which has no newly produced extras, repeating the content from their 2006 DVD release. It has the 2002 documentary, the conversation between Kurosawa and Oshima. There are a few exclusives on that release, with a commentary by scholar Michael Jeck from their 1988 Laserdisc, a roundtable commentary by various critics and scholars, the “Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences” documentary, plus a differing gallery of stills, and four trailers. Note that both the Toho and Criterion releases feature the option of original mono or remixed 2.0 options and both have the film graded in SDR. The film is also scheduled to be released on the 4K UHD format in France by The Jokers in December. Listings state this will be a 3-disc set with the film on UHD and on Blu-ray plus a bonus Blu-ray of extras including the 2002 making-of documentary, interviews, and more totaling 2 hours of content. It is also stated to have a 5.1 audio track, but there is no mention of the original mono being included. Our site’s specs will be updated once the disc specs can fully be confirmed. With the BFI release having 7.5 hours of extras with the inclusion of the commentary, it is a packed release with a lot of great exclusives to the label. The BFI usually includes some thematically related extras with archival shorts or films from the BFI National Archive, but curiously there are none to be included in this release. Other notable clips: The Janus Films trailer of the 4K restoration Three Reasons, from The Criterion Collection On the violence in Seven Samurai, interviews with David Desser, Stephen Prince, and Donald Richie, courtesy of The Criterion Collection "Seven Samurai: Is There a More Influential Action Film? " a 90 minute discussion from Cinefix A 2016 Q&A at the 10AM Film Festival showing the 4K restoration of "Seven Samurai" with script supervisor Nogami Teruyo and actor Nakadai Tatsuya (in Japanese without subtitles)
Packaging
The limited edition release has the 2 discs packaged in a keep case, housed in a slipcase which also holds the book, a double-sided poster featuring artwork by Matt Needle and the BFI’s poster designed for the film’s rerelease, and a set of four postcards featuring iconic scenes from the film.
Overall
”Seven Samurai” was a life-changing film for me, and it is always a joy to discuss and reminisce about the film. No matter how many times I watch it, I always laugh and cry at the same spots, as it is a film that transcends being just a film for me. I’m sure there are others out there that have similar feelings while others may not at all see the major significance. The BFI 4K UltraHD Blu-ray release is a stellar one, with a great transfer and a wonderful selection of extras that I am proud to be part of. Easily one of the best releases of the year. BFI Shop Link (4K UltraHD release) BFI Shop Link (standard Blu-ray release) Amazon UK Link (4K UltraHD release) Amazon UK Link (standard Blu-ray release)
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