Seven Samurai

The Seven Samurai directed by Akira Kurosawa has definitely been one of the more difficult films to interpret for myself. I do not have a specific reason as to why except as to the fact that the culture and difference in way of life and location is so dissimilar from the films previously assigned. These other films were created in such a different culture and part of the world. It goes to show again how contrasting films can be from separating parts of the world. Although it was particularly hard for me to follow along with the plot, I was able to connect some ideas and trends from reading about the history and characteristics that were associated with Japan and the time period. One of the main elements and takeaways associated with the Sengoku era would have to be the chaos and disorder arising from the fighting and wars needed to protect the warlords. This is certainly shown throughout the film as the samurai are obviously serious about the protection of their warlord and attack from bandits. The film may have been difficult for me to understand and interpret, but if anything I was able to appreciate and take note that Kurosawa’s use of slow motion during the fighting scenes made it far more intriguing. It gave me a new perspective towards action films and allowed me to experience something I was not used to. Another fascinating aspect I would like to take note of is that even though keeping track of all seven samurai and their personalities was a lot to stay on board with, I was able to distinguish how many of them were different and contributed their own strong abilities to help the overall group of samurai.