Kind of a beating.

Murdock

Murdock

Just watched 7 Samurai for he first time yesterday. I must say I was completely underwhelmed. It had its entertaining moments. But everyone that hypes this flick always seem to forget to mention that its a 3 and 1/2 hour beating.

Okay, okay. I have already read about how this movie has been so influential and is credited with being the first to use several plot devices. However, most of the movie seems to be a couple of the samurai standing around making not-that-funny jokes while the peasants put on there best "agony" face.

Also, the only good fight scene was the first one. Where Kyuzo beats the other samurai. After that, it seemed like a lot of machete hacking.

I apply the words of Peter Griffin here........


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S9WyYaO7mQ



Let the slamming begin!!!!:)
 
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It has been so long since I've seen it, I can't comment-I'd have to watch it again.

I don't see anything wrong with stating this-I mean I think we all have movies which has revered status whic some don't like (IE I thought Titanic was overrated-effects were great, story not so much-but that's going OT) :)
 
It most definitely loses something in translation on several levels. Besides the language issue - jokes just don't translate well - there is an entire cultural context to consider. My cousin speaks fluent Japanese and lived there for almost 20 years - she even married a Japanese. She found the English dubbing hysterical and troubling at the same time, so much so that she felt that there was almost nothing left of the original film other than the visuals.

I would suggest that you watch "Hero".

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299977/

A lot of care was taken with the dubbing, they had poetry experts in both languages working on it. Although sometimes the dubbing is almost visually seamless it falls far short of conveying what the film is really all about. So watch it dubbed, then watch it in Chinese with subtitles; you'll find a lot of "missing" information, and you still haven't accounted for the cultural context at all.
 
:lol:

I don't wanna tell you guys the movies I'm supposed to like, but I don't actually like, cuz I don't wanna be associated with Peter Griffin!

I haven't yet seen "Seven Samurai".
 
Love the Kurosawa. :cool:

Haven't seen all his films, but they've all been great so far.

If you liked Hero, you'd probably enjoy his Rashomon, an influence for sure.

Ikiru is still my personal favourite.
 
Rashomon was really good; it definitely started something. I watched "Courage Under Fire" again last night that, according to the description, is told with "Rashomon style flashbacks."

Kurosawa can be difficult to watch for some of the reasons I delineated earlier. I watched "The Idiot" and just didn't get it. "Ran" looked great and even sounded pretty good, but, again, I just didn't get it all.
 
Alcove Audio said:
Rashomon was really good; it definitely started something. I watched "Courage Under Fire" again last night that, according to the description, is told with "Rashomon style flashbacks."

Kurosawa can be difficult to watch for some of the reasons I delineated earlier. I watched "The Idiot" and just didn't get it. "Ran" looked great and even sounded pretty good, but, again, I just didn't get it all.
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Wait, you didn't get King Lear? :D

Ran is beautiful - if slow and somewhat ponderous, try Dodeskaden as well - probably his most painterly film - though again, not the most briskly paced. Dreams has some great stuff in it as well.

High and Low, and Stray Dog are probably my two favorites, though I do really like Ikiru (already mentioned).

Seven Samurai is the most well known because of the influence it had on Lucas and his contemporaries, but I'll go out on a limb and say it's not his best film by far. It definitely has its place in history though, and there's more going on there regarding certain aspects of the post-war Japan in which Kurosawa was working at the time. By and large though, he made some much stronger stuff that gets less attention than the samurai films.
 
As has been mentioned, a lot of Kurosawa is VERY steeped in the culture. That said, most of the american remakes do a good job of translating not only the film, but localizing it so the film resonates more with western culture. Have you seen The Magnificent Seven? If you haven't, you may enjoy that more (and "get" Seven Samurai if you go back to it). And, hey, just because it's a great film doesn't mean you have to like it. I've never liked Citizen Kane. I think it IS a great film; I just don't like it.

For me, my favorite Kurosawa is Dreams. Hands down, without question. Beautiful, beautiful film.
 
I don't remember either the jokes or the fight scenes really being relevant to the film at all..

I tried to watch The Idiot - but I'm such a huge fan of the book that it just made me want to read it again..
 
John@Bophe said:
Battle Beyond the Stars is my favorite "Seven Samurai" remake.
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Really? not "Magnificent Seven" or "Bug's Life"?

I worship "Seven Samurai." But then again, my wife is Japanese, so I've long made effort to understand the culture.

However, for those of you who excuse people who don't like the film as merely being unaware of "cultural differences," that's a weak position to take, because the film is brilliantly shot and a superlative piece of storytelling from any perspective. I love every frame of the movie, and did so even when I was a teenager, long before I understood more of its cultural nuance.

So to anybody who doesn't love it, I simply say, "I feel sorry for you."

I shall beat you later.
 
JoshL said:
For me, my favorite Kurosawa is Dreams. Hands down, without question. Beautiful, beautiful film.
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Yes! "Dreams" has to be one of the most beautiful films ever shot. The cinematography is spectacular. Wish this would be released on Blu-ray. "Hidden Fortress" is also a great Kurosawa film.

I enjoyed "Seven Samurai", but I certainly could tell something had to be missing in the translation.
 
I started Rashomon the other day, before I went to work. I like it much better than 7 Samurai. But when I returned home it was no ong on "view instantly" so I have it in my queue.

Having reviewed the write ups for the other movies you guys have mentioned, I've noticed one huge difference. 7 Samuria is 3.5 hours whereas most of the others fall around 1.5 hours. I think 7 Samurai was just too spread out.
 
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