Sølvberget cinematek: Syv samuraier (1954)

The background for Kurosawa's idea to create Seven Samurai was the state of the Japanese samurai genre "jidai-geki". It had slipped into the cliché, where duels, war, and blood had become the only content. Kurosawa, drawing on the classical samurai theme, wanted to create a modern mystery play with an emphasis on moral aspects. Where the usual conflict in samurai films lay in the tension between love and duty, Kurosawa focused on the conflict between real life and the world of ideas.

The story is set in the 1600s. For several years, a small village has been attacked and looted by bandits during harvest time. The farmers have grown tired of this ritual. They decide to hire samurai to help turn the tide of history. But being poor, they can only offer rice as payment. The farmers have no luck until they meet the elegant and wise old samurai Kambei, who is touched that they are willing to sacrifice their rice and only be left with scraps. The exemplary Kambei then sets out to find helpers. He assembles a powerful group of samurai, ranging from experienced warriors to a young, perfectionist apprentice. Kambei also shows his tactical ingenuity by choosing one of the samurai more for his sense of humor than his ability to fight.

Since Seven Samurai is one of the grandest action-adventures in film history, it's easy to forget that it is also a highly articulate human drama. The film is a rare character study, where we gradually learn that each of the seven samurai fights for the village for personal reasons. And their motivations are what make them sympathetic and interesting. Another important point for Kurosawa has been to show that, for the farmers, there is little difference between the bandits and the samurai. Their crops have always been taken from them—one year by bandits, another time by samurai on military campaigns. Thus, he brings the issue into the realm of ideas: What is the difference between good and evil in a society? And what creates this difference?

Runtime: 3 hours, 24 minutes

Country: Japan, 1954

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Kuninori Kodo, Yoshio Inaba, Isao Kimura

Language: Japanese with English subtitles

Age rating: 12 years Tickets are sold at Odeon Kino Stavanger - Cinemateket i Stavanger - Filmer på Cinemateket ODEON Kino