Apostrophe S

I’ve always wanted to watch “Seven Samurai” as I’m a big kung-fu fan. I wouldn’t call this a kung-fu film, but it is a samurai sword-fighting film, and that’s awesome. I’d always put it off, but a series of events led me to get it. First, the library has very little to choose from. Second, I read somewhere that there was an homage to this film in Star Wars III. (It’s when Yoda rubs is head slowly in deep thought.) Third… well, I have little else to do.

Despite being made over 50 years ago, being black and white, and being subtitled, the film does a pretty good job of developing its characters. It does have 3 1/2 hours to do it, though. Most of the grindhouse films I like to watch are pretty heavy on fury, but often light on dialogue and subtext.

Here’s the premise: A small farming village is being terrorized by a group of 40 bandits. The bandits come and take their food and their women and generally cause a ruckus. So the villagers decide to go to the city and beg some samurai to help them out. They find one, a wise old man, who then gathers six companions to go back to the village and help. The samurai do this selflessly. The only reward they get is three squares and a cot and the opportunity to hew heads from bandit shoulders. The samurai vary splendidly. One comes along seemingly only to perfect his skill. One is a jovial sort whose main purpose seems to be bringing lightness to tense situations. And it’s not clear whether another is a real samurai or not. He’s a drunken loudmouth, often funny, who wasn’t even invited to help but went anyway.

When they get to the village, however, they discover that the farmers aren’t so friendly to “samurai on the run.” In fact, they’ve murdered samurai who’ve worn out their welcome before. This enrages several of the seven, but they continue to help the villagers because without them, there would be no hope.

So they prepare by digging moats and building fences. The film builds to a great climactic battle, and the ending is quite satisfying. But I won’t spoil all the fun. Go rent it for yourself.

The movie doesn’t have the greatest fight scenes or anything, but the story and characters are just plain fun to watch.