Stumbling through Youtube I came across a very interesting channel Filmmaker IQ, who have produced a few very interesting videos which summarise some of the theory’s explored in this course. The videos are clear and concise and help with some the background reading.

The above video nicely explains the Auteur theory, and has potentially given we some ideas for a rework of assignment 1. If i follow some of the ideas mentioned, together with tutor suggestions and further reading.

While almost identical on a superficial basis “The Seven Samurai” and “The Magnificent Seven” are very different films. These differences mainly come I feel from the cultural context of each movie.

“The Seven Samurai” is a story of Ronin, masterless Samurai, in feudal Japan. Japan at that distinct class structure and it was not possible to move within the classes or even for the classes to mix on a social level. Therefore, this brings into the story the issues that these Ronin are forever trapped as a Samurai. They have to survive in any way they can. Many Ronin did fall by the wayside and become bandits as they only way to survive, here we have seven men still fighting to keep their honour even if payment was just three bowls of rice.

“The Magnificent Seven” in contrast has the same plot line gunmen working defending a poor village for little pay, but the context is not the same. America is a classless society; there is freedom to move between classes and job – Steve McQueen’s character is, in fact, offered a job in a store which would pay far that being a gun for hire. The fact the seven men in “The Magnificent Seven” are choosing their own destiny – they are adventures or what we would call today adrenaline junkies.

The main leads in the film are very similar, other than the shaved head; both were portrayed as strong but kind principled men. For example Kambei shaves of his “top knot” a badge of great honour for samurai to rescue a child, Chris in “The Magnificent Seven” steps up to drive the hearse for a deceased Native American, who the is being prevented from being buried by the town’s prejudice. Both also reflect that they are never the winners in the fights they choose to have.

The of the remaining characters from “The Seven Samurai” John Sturges has done an excellent job in transferring them to the Western genre. He has combined Kikuchiyo and Katsushiro to form the Chico Character; a young want to be a gunslinger, who in reality is just running away from being a farmboy. This amalgamation was a wise choice as the role was an apprentice to a gunslinger did not exist therefore the combination of trainee and fool fit together nicely.

Kyuzo was directly translated into James Coburn’s Britt, the style the mannerisms were excellently transposed between the two films. Similarly, with Heihachi & Shichiroji, we ae introduced to O’Rielly (Charles Bronson) chopping wood for his breakfast and Harry is the loyal old friend of Chris. However, both characters are given a like western twist with the addition for O’Rielly, a love of children and Harry’s fortune seeking nature.

The final two characters in The Magnificent Seven are not transposed from the original but there more for their Western context; the gunmen with lost nerve, Robert Vaughan’s Lee and the drifter Vin played by Steve McQueen – although McQueen’s character does have some traits of Shichiroji.

Is one film better than the other is one director better than the other that is hard to tell because as they are the same story, they are apples and oranges by comparison.

“The Seven Samurai” is a stand out film; the whole the mise en scene is incredible, every tone, every shape, there is a sense not a second of screen time is wasted. That is considerable considering it 3 hours plus running time and as discussed contextually it fit fell with it historical background.

“The Magnificent Seven” is a visually beautifully film, filmed in technicolour, it employs that great US West /Mexican scenery to significant effect, it hard to look away from the characters because they portrayed by such stars and John Sturges as done pretty good job of translating the story to the American west. However, in comparison to its predecessor is baggy, overlong recruitment segment, and all the action in the last act – little build up. And contextually it is not the parable on the class system that the Japanese original was.

The best way can describe the overall mais en scene compares to each other is The Seven Samurai looks much more real than the shiny fantasy of the American west that The Magnificent Seven shows. However, should I criticise the John Sturges for the depiction? I think not: he was making the film for a particular audience – wasn’t until later with the advent of the spaghetti western did American audiences start to come to terms with the fact that the old west was dusty and dirty.

It’s a bit like comparing two models of Ferrari, are both films great just built for a different purpose..

Summary

For only a meagre three meals a day, 7 Ronin (masterless samurai) are hired by villages to protect them from bandits.

Synopsis

When villages overhear that bandits are planning to return to steal their crops and harvest time the village elder suggests that they must hire samurai to protect them, although all they have to offer in payment is food.

The villagers ask ageing ronin Kambei for help after an initial hesitation Kambei set about recruiting six more Ronin to defend the village. Including an inexperienced apprentice Katsushirō and Kikuchiyo, who carries with him a family scroll to prove he a samurai but reality is from a village just like the one to be defended. Kikuchiyo is initially rejected follows the group until he is accepted.

After an initially cold reception in the village, there are there help trust begins to grow as the community and samurai work to together to train, and the samurai comes to terms the shame of how other samurai have brought torment to such villages.

The villagers and samurai stand together to face a final series of battles with the bandits.
Review.

As the world know this is the film that inspired the classic western “The Magnificent Seven”, and while the story we love and scenes that are indelibly marked into are memories from the “The Magnificent Seven” are lifted very faithfully from its predecessor – make no mistake these are two very different films. The “The Seven Samurai” is a much darker piece of work dealing with the culture and social hierarchy of feudal Japan.

I’m not sure it an advantage or a disadvantage that I have come to the film after loving the “The Magnificent Seven” for most of my life, therefore, it hard to write a straight review as opposed to a comparison. As I watch it looking for the similar scenes, for example, the sword duel paralleling James Coburn’s knife fight. However, I notice differences too.

“The Seven Samurai” is harder watch the “The Magnificent Seven”; the characterisation of the main characters and their places in society, play a much more important role. There is considerable development in the script, exploring the motivation of the samurai. The acting is faultless; the cinematography is beautiful the black & white renders the Japanese countryside in wonderful tones.

“The Seven Samurai” makes you think, it is not a romp about seven adventurers looking for excitement in the changing life – it is more about pride and redemption. Ronin are lonely figures outcast from society many did fall into the ways of the bandit as a way to make ends meet – the men although masterless still honour their bushido code by defending those who can not defend themselves for just a salary of 3 bowls of rice a day.

Plot Summary

Feudal Japan transported to the Old West. Seven old gunfighters are hired by a Mexican Village to protect them from a group of bandits. In John Sturges remake of Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai
Plot Synopsis.

After repeated raids from a group of bandits, a Mexican village sends elders to a town on the border with the US to barter for guns to defend themselves. Here they encounter Chris, a veteran gunslinger who suggested they men as the are cheaper than guns.

Chris help the villages by recruiting six other gunmen to defend the village, including a drifter, a desperate profession, a knife specialist, a treasure hunter, a wanted man and young hot head. The gunmen all have differing motivations for helping the villagers, but they train the villagers to fight and defend themselves and set a trap for the returning bandits.

Review

It is hard to write an objective review of the film made me appreciate westerns. I grew up in the 70’s when the western genre was on the wane, I didn’t aways enjoy the standard John Wayne movies that would be on TV on a Sunday afternoon.

The film is set in the later day of the old west, the days of the gunslinger appear to be numbered and is director John Sturges set this in the vivid backdrop of beautiful filmed Mexican scenery and as the world knows a retelling of the classic Kurosawa film “The Seven Samurai.”

Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen turn in credible performances as gunslingers with a conscience and are ably supported by the supporting cast of including James Coburn, Robert Vaughan and Charles Bronson, who all went on to superstardom over the following decade.

John Sturges directions, however, is a little too precise, while the scenes are all beautiful to the eye the story enjoyable it is slow in its preamble. The movie has a running time over 128min, and it takes over 100 of those minutes to set up a final gunfight. Admittedly with that 100min the film tries to fill in the back story of the seven and their motivation and demons, and there are also quite stand out set pieces – particularly the funeral scene; ultimately it comes up a little short in explaining these certainly complicated men and leaves you wanting a bit more.
Overall is this a movie I would recommend? Of course yes, the visuals are great, the performances are strong and despite the shortcoming discussed the story is credible and of course there is that score. For that score draws you in like no other in film history whenever the excitement drops or action is about to start Elmer Bernstein’s magnificent score kicks in a holds your attention to the screen just as a toddler is captivated by an ice-cream.

Overall is this a movie I would recommend? Of course yes, the visuals are great, the performances are strong and despite the shortcoming discussed the story is credible and of course there is that score. For that score draws you in like no other in film history whenever the excitement drops or action is about to start Elmer Bernstein’s magnificent score kicks in a holds your attention to the screen just as a toddler is captivated by an ice-cream.