Around the time of wheat harvesting, the wandering bandits come to raid the villages and the villagers tremble with fear and apprehension. The only way to defend the village is to hire the samurai mercenaries. With the cooperation of a veteran fighter Kambei, Korobei, Kyuzo, Heihachi, Shichiroji, Katsushiro and Kikuchiyo are chosen, the last being a wild youth of farmer descent. The defense of the village is built up with the help of the samurai and combat training is started. With the end of the harvesting of the corn, the raids by the bandits begin. The enemy number some 40 odd. Guided by farmer Rikichi, the mercenary samurai make a night attack on the bandits’ camp. On this night Heihachi is lost. With day break, the bandits launch repeated attacks on the village, but with the samurai as their mainstay, the farmers with hoe and pole fight with desperate courage. In the midst of the raging battle, love is kindled in the hearts of the village maid and Katsushiro, but even the two young hearts cannot break the barrier that lies between the two classes of the samurai and the farmer. The final decisive battle approaches. Reduced to only 13 by now, the bandits yet swarm into the village one rainy morning. Although Kyuzo, Gorobei and Kikuchiyo fall, the bandits are completely routed. With the melody of the rice planting song still lingering in the ears of Kambei, Shichiroji, Katsushiro, the survivors now silently and sorrowfully stand before the newly made grave mounds.
Original Title | The Seven Samurai - Shichinin no samurai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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German Title | Die Sieben Samurai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
French Title | The Seven Samurai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other Titles | I sette samurai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Directed by | Akira KUROSAWA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Available Formats | 35mm, Blu-ray, DCP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Screenplay | Shinobu Hashimoto, Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Film Editing | Akira Kurosawa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Soundtrack | Fumio Hayasaka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cinematography | Asakazu Nakai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sound | Ichirô Minawa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Décors | Sô Matsuyama | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Costumes | Kôhei Ezaki, Mieko Yamaguchi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Production | Toho Studios, Sôjirô Motoki | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Runtime | 206 Min. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Language | Japanisch/d/f | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Actors |
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Oscarnomination: Best Decor, best costumes
BAFTA-Awards: Best Film, Best Actors
Leone d'argento, Venezia
«Shichinin no samurai ist ein Film über radikale Existenz und Endlichkeit.» Filmmuseum Wien "Lorsque j'ai découvert le Kurosawa, ce fut une révélation, que le cinéma japonais pouvait atteindre cette combinaison artistique et entertainment." Daisuke Ito, producteur "Akira KUROSAWA fut un prodige de la nature et son oeuvre constitue un véritable don au cinéma et à tous ceux qui l'aiment." Martin Scorsese Kurosawa (1910 bis 1998) erzählt eine Geschichte aus dem 16. Jahrhundert, aber er treibt sie in eine so verdichtete und rauschhafte Gegenwart, dass man Die sieben Samurai mit wachsender Ungeduld sieht, als würde hier die eigene Zukunft entschieden: Man erlebt, wie ein Krieg entsteht, und man will, dass er endlich anfängt. Selbst wenn die Dorfbewohner einen hilflosen Banditen tottrampeln, schlägt unser Hass-blut pumpendes Herz für sie. Die menschliche Unvollkommenheit zeigt sich in der Existenz der Samurai. Wir schaffen es nicht ohne sie. Und nach der Schlacht schämen wir uns, dass wir ihren Beistand gebraucht haben. Die Samurai spüren das und machen sich davon, ehe unsere Scham ihnen unerträglich wird. Ohne diesen Moment der Verachtung kommt noch heute kein guter Actionfilm aus.
Die Zeit
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