OCA Photography – Introduction to Film Culture

Assignment 1 – Hero’s and Villains ‘re-made’.

The has been an interesting exercise to watch five movies; three inspired by two of the others and a more interesting decision as to which two to reflect on together with the “Seven Samurai”. It would have been a much easier decision if had have reflect on any three – but I guess that would have drawn everyone to the low hanging fruit of “Yojimbo” and its two offspring. However, I want to reflect on the two I think that have had the most effect on me, “Yojimbo” and “Fistful of Dollars”.

As I have revealed earlier in exercise 1.2, I came to the Seven Samurai as an admirer of the Magnificent Seven and while not wanting to get into comparisons here between those two films it is significant to mention it as it has a bearing on how I viewed Kurosawa’s masterpiece work.

It is evident when you watch the “Seven Samurai” why it has inspired so many filmmakers; not only the recognised re-make the Magnificent Seven but others such as the Guns of Navarone and the Dirty Dozen. The film explores so many themes, from the cultural significance of the Ronin in Feudal Japan to the motivation of individuals and beyond; all wrapped in a package that any blockbuster Hollywood movie now or then would be grateful to have.

What is does have though above all it imitators is its running time, at over hours Kurosawa allows the plot points to develop slowly, the characters to marinate so that they become rounded individuals. It does not rely on an overly dramatic showdown that many of its offspring have, nor is there a “happy ending” of redemption for the group either in an honourable death or survival. No, what Kurosawa is showing in this film is that violence breeds violence and that for a warrior survival can be a form of death. They become obsolete there are no longer required and because of the class systems in feudal Japan they cannot quietly retire into the community, they have saved. The fact that they are ronin available in the first place is because of this class system, and Kurosawa shows that perpetual cycle to great effect in this movie.

The same director shows a different style in Yojimbo, classed as a thriller – the story is less class based and could be easily transported in any period as has been demonstrated with the two remakes we have studied. Here the director has focused on an individual and his mission to rid a town of two feuding gangs. While still set in feudal Japan, it is quite clearly at a period which is contemporary with the American western, as shown with the use of a Colt 45 or similar. The overall feel of the film is more of a western than the thoughtful subtleties of the directors earlier Chanbara masterpiece.

There are much more comic elements, and the score is heavier and more humorous if not cartoon in style, but overall the Kurosawa has pushed the samurai film away from its origins to show more realistically how brutal death can be in particular by a sword. However, unlike the more real characters that he has produced in the Seven Samurai, the hero is more the of the modern day action hero. Seemingly unstoppable and able to single-handedly bring down the “bad guys” no matter what happen to him, which is in nearly every modern day film, although, somehow I am drawn to a comparison to John McClane in Die Hard; how he can defeat the terrorists despite being barefoot.

In “A Fistful of Dollars” Sergio Leone remakes the Yojimbo while bringing a style to the film which pays homage to both Kurosawa and the chanbara and the great blockbuster American Westerns of the likes of John Ford. “A Fistful of Dollars” was the beginning of the Spaghetti Western and Leone had produced a film which was not a shot for shot remake make of Yojimbo nor has it the same tone. I would describe it as a more serious film than it predecessor. Yes, the overall story is the same, but the development of most charictors is less characteristic than Yojimbo, and the direction leads the way the use of extreme close-ups on the actor’s eyes that became a trademark of the spaghetti western.

A Fistful of Dollars is very much a western, and you can see that influence in the wide shots which bring in the landscape – especially when compared back to Yojimbo; mainly set within the claustrophobic surround of a village.

The overall look of Leone film is very similar in feel to both Yojimbo and Seven Samurai, but this achieved differently. Kurosawa makes great use of light and shadow for the dramatic effect his films; shot in black and white and the contrast gives the grittiness and darkness. Whereas “A Fistful of Dollars” is in full colour, but unlike many of it contemporary American Westerns there is a layer of dust over everything as you would expect in the American West – not the shiny bright colours of Hollywood.

Overall I think these two directors over these three movies have made a great contribution to each genre they represent, in Leones case even helping to give birth to the Spaghetti Western. They have transported them to another level for all that followed to look up to whether within the genre or outside. They have spawned many remakes, sequels and homages some less successful than others but they all owe that existence to the three films we have talked about today.

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.