SHINO. Are we all going to die tomorrow?
KATSUSHIRO. There's no way to know. But we might. (They fall to the ground in an embrace...later, they come out of the hut and Manzo, Shino's father, sees her.)
MANZO. (In between hitting his daughter) Shino! You tramp! You wench! What the hell's a farmer's girl doing with a samurai? You slut[....] I can't forgive them. I can't stand by when my only daughter has been made damaged goods.
KAMBEI. We've lost yet again. With their land, the farmers are the victors...Not us.
Earlier in the film, Kambei decides that Katsushiro can't go with the other samurai to the village. He tries to explain why to the youngster:
"I know, I know. I was once your age, you know. Hone your skills, then go war and do great things. Then becomes lord of your own castle and domain. But as you dream those dreams, before you know it, your hair will turn grey as mine. By that time you've lost your parents and you're alone."
Donald Richie (1924-2013), who knew about Kurosawa and Japanese cinema perhaps better than any other Westerner of his time, wrote the following about Seven Samurai:
The important thing [...] is that [...] people concern themselves with this search for meaning [between the real and illusion—the pretend] and do not allow themselves to be too misled by illusion. Kurosawa knows perfectly well that illusion is necessary [....] At the same time, he would invite us—in the very face of apparently certain defeat—to pursue the real in so far as we are able, to face life, and to settle for nothing less. (Seven Samurai and Other Screenplays, Akira Kurosawa, Faber and Faber, London, 1992)
You may not have liked this film as much as I do—when people ask me what my favorite movie is, if I say anything at all, I say this movie—but you have seen what is universally considered to be one of the greatest movies in the history of cinema. Better than even Harry Potter, Lord of The Rings, Taken parts 1,2,3,4,7,9, and 14, and anything by Disney. Even anything by Quentin Tarantino (sorry Isaac). It is an action film; it is a historical drama; it is study of the Meaning of Life.
1. What stayed with you from this last 30 minutes—what scene or moment? And why?
2. One of your friends asks you what you've been doing this week, and you tell them you've been watching this movie. "What's it about?" they ask—how do you answer? Don't give a synopsis of the plot, but really think what Seven Samurai is about, in the way that Wit is about a woman facing her death and confronting what she recognizes was a life lived, to a great deal, in an ignorance of her own making. Think about this: and answer it in two sentences.
3. Girls in 6th period and Boys in 5th period: make sense of Shino's story. Why is she in this movie? What does she do to further a theme in the film? Add to what was said by those who wrote before you. Or disagree and say why.
3. Boys in 6th period and Girls in 5th period: what does Kambei mean at the end of the movie by "We've lost again"? And do you buy this? Add to what was said by those who wrote before you. Or disagree and say why.
4. Whose death in the film most affected you? And why?
Below are the Seven in 1954, 1960, and 2016.
It's always interesting to me to see actors in different roles. For example Toshiro Mifune, the greatest Japanese actor, whose most famous role is Kikuchiyo. This is him in other circumstances:
No one scene really struck me, except for the final shot with the Remaining samurai, with the mounds in the background. What I really remember was how the chaos, and how grimy the final battle was. I know that war is supposed to be chaotic, but I feel that Kurosawa did a great job of evoking the sheer sense of not knowing what was happening. The horses, mud, rain…
ReplyDeleteIt’s about playing the roles that society sets out for us, and the struggle of adhering to, attempting to break class barriers.
3. Shino is in this story to accentuate the class divide between the Samurai and the Farmers. We know that they love each other, but that doesn't really matter in the face of their situation--it’s just not gonna happen. We may be far-off from feudal Japan, but the message, that society chooses for you, still rings true.
4. Kikuchiyo for sure. I think because he had such a great presence in this movie, and we learn so much about him, and he learns so much himself, it was a little hard to see him die. We see Kikuchiyo boisterous and persistent, and we see him cry with a baby in his arms, a baby whose circumstances are the same as Kikuchiyo’s (“This is me”). The baby perhaps serves as a symbol of life’s futility. However, I think Kikuchiyo bucks this trend: he may have been low-born, but he dies heroically as a Samurai. I can’t tell if that comforts me, or makes it even sadder.
ReplyDelete1. What stayed with you from this last 30 minutes—what scene or moment? And why?
One of the moments that really struck me was the celebration of the farmers after the bandits were defeated. This particular scene featured a contrast between the joyful farmers and the sullen samurai that contemplated their losses. What made this scene so impactful is that it was an resolution of the conflict that was not the typical “happily ever after” ending. The heroes of the film are met with sadness and regret instead of accolades and recognition from the citizens that they protected. Overall, the scene was very memorable to me because of its radical (and pretty depressing) departure from typical story endings.
2. One of your friends asks you what you've been doing this week, and you tell them you've been watching this movie. "What's it about?" they ask—how do you answer? Don't give a synopsis of the plot, but really think what Seven Samurai is about, in the way that Wit is about a woman facing her death and confronting what she recognizes was a life lived, to a great deal, in an ignorance of her own making. Think about this: and answer it in two sentences.
Seven Samurai is a film about how risk factors into living a fulfilling life. Throughout the movie, the main characters encounters something that threatens their lives; however, throughout this risk, they are able to gain a greater understanding of themselves and the people around them.
3. Boys in 6th period and Girls in 5th period: what does Kambei mean at the end of the movie by "We've lost again"? And do you buy this? Add to what was said by those who wrote before you. Or disagree and say why.
When Kambei says this line, he is stating that the samurai have once again lost people that they were close to during war. As warriors during the feudal period, Kambei and the others are constantly hired to complete dangerous tasks where there is no guarantee of survival. Because of this, the samurai must always be ready to either lose comrades or their own lives. This point has some validity, mainly because Kambei says that he has lost “again.” This suggests that this was not the first conflict where he has lost people that were close to him; for this reason, I have no choice to believe that Kambei has lost again, in some extent.
4. Whose death in the film most affected you? And why?
The death that really affected me was Kyuzo. Most people may say Kikuchiyo, but I expected him to die; he was the most likable for the audience, so it makes sense that he would be killed in order for Kurosawa to really illustrate the horrors of war. However, I could have never expected that a badass swordsmen like Kyuzo would die so suddenly. This death was so disheartening because of how suddenly it occurred. In addition, it was also saddening to see how little Kyuzo’s skill mattered in the end; he dedicated so much of his life to his craft only to have it all wasted in the final battle.
The scene where Kyuzo and Kikuchiyo both get shot down has stayed in my mind for multiple reasons. The first reason being I either didn't expect these characters to die, or I didn't expect them to perish in the specific manner that they did. Kikuchiyo seemed like an almost invincible character. He has such a reckless personality and he puts himself in such dangerous situation, but never gets defeated. Similarly, Kyuzo, the obvious master swordsman and expert at killing, seems like the last person to die in battle. Thus, the fact that these two highly likable and powerful characters were brought down by guns while not even fighting a visible opponent seemed like a waste of their lives. I was more saddened by their deaths than any other persons in the movie. Their demises also points to the helpless for characters like them in the near future. Imperialism and the rise of more technological weapons will eventually make their swords and fighting spirits obsolete. Thus, I felt a feeling of hopelessness following Kyuzo and Kikuchiyo’s deaths.
ReplyDeleteSeven Samurai is about a group of warriors who, uncharacteristic of their order, agree to risk their lives defend a village of poor farmers, who ironically fear the Samurai, against a group of bandits. During the journey we see that the Samurai struggle with finding meaning for their repetitive lives, the lack of gratitude from the farmers for the Samurai’s service, and the impending reality of becoming obsolete in the face of new technologies.
I agree with Kambie’s statement. I think that the real victory goes to the farmers, who for the most part survived and can go on with their lives. They can celebrate and live at ease knowing that this group of bandits will not harm them any longer. I think that what Kambie means when he says “We've lost again” is that their will be no celebrating for the Samurai. Over half of the original seven are dead, and those who survived don't have very promising futures. Kambie and the other older Samurai have nothing to look forward to in life except more fighting and death. They also got very little out of the battle, as the farmers practically ignore them once the fighting is over. For Katsushiro, he must leave his lover as a result of the caste system in Japan. Furthermore, he must endure the same type of life as his fellow Samurai. Thus, the lack of some greater, positive achievement for the remaining Samurai prompts Kambie to say “We've lost again”.
Like I said before, I think Kyuzo’s death affected me the most. His fighting ability and the way he carried himself inspired awe. He possessed a greater knowledge than anyone about his trade, yet was very humble. When he was shot from a distance it seemed like an unfair and futile death. To see someone so powerful get killed not by fighting with every last ounce of strength and probably taking down many opponents in the process, but shot down, made Kyuzo seem completely defenseless. His death left me with a bleak outlook for the future of Samurai, while also showing that someone who is you're idol, as Kyuzo is to Katsushiro, can easily die.
Woah John, leave Quentin out of this...
ReplyDelete1. One moment that struck a particular cord with me upon this viewing was when Kyuzo threw his sword in one last attack as he died. It just makes sense. The master swordsman's last thing he does when he knows he's about to die is one last frugal attempt with his sword. It clearly did not do anything, but desperation in the act shows what is truly at the core of Kyuzo's character: a fighter.
2. Seven Samurai is a film that captures the ridged hierarchy of society and how individuals attempt to ascend that structure for either their own benefit or the benefit of others. Moreover, it demands what drives each of its characters, and accordingly the viewers, in their search for peace in life and escape in death.
3. I agree with Kiran, Shino adds a different perspective on the strict structure of the social hierarchy. Her plot-line further develops the themes of the story by commenting on the permanence of social standings: a samurai can never be a farmer, and once you have sex you are permanently "damaged."
4. As I discussed earlier, Kyuzo's death scene was particularly poignant for me. To see this dignified man, who has maintained his composedness throughout battle, be stripped of this persona as he flings his sword randomly into the rain, is simply tragic.
1. The very last scene that cut between the shots of happy singing farmers, planting in rhythm, and the shot of the somber samurai staring at the graves of the fallen (included four samurai) was very memorable for me. It continued to highlight both class divisions and the saddening meaning of the samurai’s way of life. Their victory is never truly theirs and if they do not fall in battle, it’s on to fight the next one. This somber reflection that despite the happy singing farmers, there was no real victory, was a thoughtful ending that makes one rethink the misery of each class and wonder about the meaning of life.
ReplyDelete2. The film seven samurai is simultaneously a classic action film (with defending the village, training the farmers, and overcoming the odds) and an existentialist perspective of the meaning of life. It may be slower than modern action films, but presents powerful messages to do with class and sex divisions, friendship, morality, and life’s purpose.
3. I think Shino’s role in the movie highlights the rigid role predetermined for women in their culture. An example being her father’s treatment of her as property whose only purpose was to be married. This is proved by his description of her as “damaged goods” after discovering her with Katsushiro. Her father’s reaction is also a statement on modern culture because while Shino was physically injured and publically shamed for having sex, Katsushiro’s actions were made into a joke by Kambei himself, saying something along the lines of, “We expect alot from you today, as of last night you became a real man.” In terms of the theme that Shino helps further within the film, I originally thought her love story of sorts with Katsushiro bridged the gap between the class division of the samurai and the farmers. However, the scene at the end of the film (and when Katsushiro had no way to defend her or chose not to defend her actions in front of her father) it seemed as though Shino actually represented these unwavering class divisions.
4. I think that Kyuzo’s death affected me the most because of how it rendered Kyuzo’s skill as a master swordsman useless to defend himself from death. The fact that you couldn’t even see the shooter as it happened was awful. Kyuzo’s death was painfully ironic and represented the death of certain skills and professions, perhaps even samurai themselves, in the face of colonialism and modernization.
The scene where Shino walks into the rice field and starts singing with the other farmers has stayed with me because it shows how life so quickly went back to “normal” for the farmers. The samurai, who are supposedly superior to the farmers, are left to struggle with past events, while the villagers sing. Shino singing makes it seem like everything that happened within the 3.5 hours of the film was all a fantasy. It makes me question whether there were ever any bonds formed between the samurai and farmers, specifically Katsushiro and Shino.
ReplyDeleteSeven Samurai is the story of seven men who, during a bloody battle, push the obscure yet defined societal boundaries dished out to them, and how these roles affect their relationships, actions, and purpose in a questionable lifestyle.
I think Kambei is commenting on just how repetitive a samurai’s life is. A samurai is recruited, fights in a battle, loses friends if he does not die first himself, and returns to strutting around the city to repeat the process all over again. It makes a samurai’s often glorified and adrenaline-filled life seem so pointless.
Kyozu’s death affected me the most because he was the ideal character in the film. He was a master swordsman, did not brag or cry, was neither afraid nor saddened, and seemed content in himself. He was always calm until the very end when he was shot and threw his sword into the mud. It was shocking to see him so emotional when he died, not to mention Katsushiro’s emotional response to the loss of his idol. Even the most magnificent died in the end.
I think the scene that stuck with me the most was the one where Kyuzo is shot by the musket and is killed. This one stuck with me because I was mad that Kyuzo was killed in such an unfair way. He was a great swordsman and it was a shame to see him die in a way that showed that his skills were no match for technology. I think Philip said this on Friday, but it really does feel like Kyuzo was cheated and I wish he had a death that honored his abilities more.
ReplyDeleteSeven Samurai is a film about a group of samurai who risk their lives to protect a village from bandits not because they are getting paid for it, but because it is the right thing to do and it's for the greater good. The film also shows us the value of sacrifice, the importance of friendship and unity in a time of trial, and the rare example of class structure being broken.
I think that by saying “We've lost again” means that although they did defeat all the bandits, it came at a very high cost of the lives of four of the seven samurai. The samurai are used to being hired to fight and risk their lives to help others, but I think that Kambei is saying that the samurai can never win because there will always be another battle to fight and there will always be lives lost in those battles. I think that Kambei speaks on the cycle of fighting that the samurai have to go through and how hard it is to see friends die with little to no reward for their deaths.
I think the death that had the most effect on me was definitely Kikuchiyo. I'm pretty sure that the majority of the people will answer Kikuchiyo, but I think that this validates his character’s impact on the viewer. Kikuchiyo was a character who brought amusement and joy to not only the viewer, but also to the farmers and children in the village. I think this made it very hard to see him go because he was a character that I could always rely on the make the film a bit more positive even though it was about war.
I think the scene that stuck with me the most was at the very end when we see the four samurai mounds with each of the fallen samurais' swords stuck in their graves. It is a really beautiful and peaceful shot, but also incredibly sad. It really makes the viewer think about the sacrifices the samurai made, all for no reward or gain, and still ended up losing in the end. Even though they had defeated the bandits, four samurai were killed in doing so.
ReplyDeleteSeven Samurai is about seven swordsmen who, each for his own unique reasons, decide to work together to help protect a farming village from bandits for no reward or gain. This is a film that explores right and wrong, good and evil, and how each person is not just one or the other.
I believe Kambei is right in that the samurai lost. Even though they were able to defeat the bandits and save the farmers, the samurai lost four of their own. It is quite a steep price to pay to protect a village who gave them nothing in return, and who treated them as outsiders. There are always deaths and sacrifices in war, but I believe that no matter which side you are on, winning or losing, you will always ultimately lose something bigger: a friend, a loved-one, or a piece of yourself. For samurai, there is always another battle, another friend to see killed fighting and, to me, that is what Kambei meant by saying that they had lost again. Being a samurai means losing every time, one way or another.
The death that most affected me was Kyuzo's for a number of reasons. First, he was one of my favorite characters and a huge part of the story, so his death completely took me by surprise. Also I think that his death really didn't do justice to his character; He is a swordsman of incredible skill, but one shot from a musket is all it takes. Of course the musket would win, but I feel that Kyuzo deserved a death that was more fitting of him and his skill. It was heartbreaking to see Katsushiro witness Kyuzo's death, a man whom he looked up to immensely. You could tell that Katsushiro was absolutely devastated by his death, which made the scene that much more sad. I understand why Kurosawa had Kyuzo killed when and how he did, but I just really wish he hadn't. All throughout the movie, I was waiting on my happy ending, but never got it.
The scene that stuck with me the most was at the end of the movie with the shot of the four grave of the samurai on top of the hill and the three surviving samurai standing below. We talked about this in class, and I think it was very powerful because it showed the honor of the lost samurai while the three remaining men got a little time to mourn before continuing on with their lives.
ReplyDeleteThe Seven Samurai is about men who put aside their differences in social class to help people not as fortunate as them survive and fight. By doing so, the different groups learn and interact with each other like they have never before, and the samurai get to experience less than heroic deaths with no benefits.
I agree with Jordyn that the samurai have lived the same loss before, and it will probably happen again. While the farmers did get their land back with few deaths because of the samurai, the samurai did not gain anything by participating in the war. Their whole lives revolve around fighting and war and the phrase "we've lost again" is most likely rooted from past fight where they lost more than they wanted. The death of the four samurai did not come with any reward to soften the blow, and the villagers being happy again did not accomplish anything for the samurai.
Kikuchiyo's death affected me the most. He brought some humor tot he film that I really enjoyed, and I felt like I got to know his character. I also liked how adamant he was about the war and how invested he was. He went into the room where the bandit had captured all of the women when he died and I thought that was brave of him to risk his life for them. His character definitely stuck with me the most.
1. The part of the film’s finale that has stuck with me the most was at the very end, when Katsushiro and Shino make eye contact, but Shino keeps walking and ignores him. That moment really emphasized how this was not at all a victory for the Samurai. All three who survive end up in the same place where they began, or worse off. Katsushiro has lost not only his friends, but love as well. After all of the fighting, he couldn’t even find love.
ReplyDelete2. At its core, Seven Samurai is a film about trusting others regardless of class or status. This idea is presented in two ways: the villagers trusting the samurai (and vice-versa) and the samurai trusting each other (especially Kikuchiyo.)
3. I agree with Isaac and Kiran. Shino’s role allows us to further explore the ideas of class and society in the film. Katsushiro and Shino’s love is forbidden due to class. The film even shows us the reactions of both the samurai and the farmers, and we see the different attitudes that each have on the situation. The farmers, Manzo in particular, are revolted by the situation. Of course, due to her status as a woman, Shino is the target of many of Manzo’s comments. She is a “whore” and a “slut” for sleeping with Katsushiro. On the other hand, Kambei simply jokes that the encounter made him a man. The other samurai laugh. As Kikuchiyo pointed out earlier in the film, it’s common for samurai to enter villages, rape, and pillage. A relationship might still be ridiculous, but for the samurai, sex with a villager just makes Katsushiro more like the rest of them.
4. Kikuchiyo’s death affected me the most. Throughout the film, I felt he was the development and dimensions to his character. We see him change from just a drunken idiot to a full samurai who balances comedic elements with real depth. His journey from peasant to samurai is easier to connect with than any of the other characters’ backstories, except maybe the young Katsushiro. Consistently, Kikuchiyo
is the most affected by the deaths of the other samurai, most notably when he spends an entire night by Gorobei’s grave. He also showcases this emotional connection when he lashes out after Kyuzo is killed. This outburst leads to Kukuchiyo’s death (but not before he slays the last bandit,) and with it, the Samurai lose their most rounded and human member.
For me, a very pivotal scene in this film was Kyûzô’s death. If the film is viewed from the point of view of Katsushiro, this entire battle experience acts as a loss of innocence for him. Throughout this whole film, Katsushiro has been experiencing new things such a sex, war and death. Here he experiences his first sexual experience with Shino, and he witnesses the death of a man he respects and loves. This scene really stuck with me because it shows how blindsided Katsushiro was by the coldness and brutality of war.
ReplyDeleteTo sum up the main point and meaning of Seven Samurai, I believe it’s about a group of people varying in class, wealth and power learning to put aside their differences and work together to not all be killed. The character, Kikuchiyo shows that perfect in that he was once a farmer too, but now he is a powerful and honorable samurai fighting in battle for whoever needs it.
I believe when Kambei was saying “we lost again” after undoubtably winning the battle, Kurosawa is trying to say that the battle was not about the Samurai winning over the bandits and freeing the village from their reign of terror. Kurosawa shows the four graves of the dead Samurai as Kambei says this to suggest that the Samurai lost so many of their own, that the battle was lost anyways.
The death that effected me the most was Kikuchiyo for a number of reasons. Throughout the film, Kukuchiyo was the character who went through the most changes. We saw him learn to empathize with the farmers again and learn to lead people. Kikuchiyo was showing so much promise as a Samurai and as a leader. He had
Opened up so much to the other samurai (so much for Kikuchiyo is not that much to other people). It pained me to see him die because I wanted him to keep living and improving! I wanted the film to end knowing that Kikuchiyo was a changed man ready to be an honorable and just samurai, but sadly he was killed before any of that could happen
The closing scene of Seven Samurai stuck with me the most. The samurai standing beneath the graves of those they lost, looking sullen despite the fact that they just saved a village is incredibly powerful. By one definition, this movie had a happy ending, the village was sac=ved from the bandits and the villagers a continue their outdated way of life until the next crew of bandits come along. For the villagers the ending was a “victory” and we see them happily going about their lives, farming together, if the movie had ended here many people would consider the ending a happily ever after. When the camera pans over to the surviving samurai, we quickly learn that the victory does not extend to the samurai who are now left to keep fighting until they die.
ReplyDeleteSeven Samurai is the story of seven samurai ignoring the class structure in an attempt to find meaning for their lives by protecting a village from bandits. The future of swordsmen is threatened in this society and these men must find their place in this new world.
I agree with Philip that Kambei is right in saying that the samurai have lost again. The men won the battle but ultimately lost the “war”. They saved the village but in doing so lost half of the samurai and Katsushiro loses his love. The bandits represent a more advanced samurai, with muskets and how the swordsman's craft is becoming less prominent. They will continue to fight until their death against the gradually advancing opponent.
As other people have mentioned, Kyuzo’s death was particularly striking. No one expected the master swordsmen to be killed, he had shown tremendous courage and bravery so far and the way he died does no justice to his life and his craft. It speaks to the time that this master swordsman, humble and strong is simply shot in the back by a musket. This is so unfair, I felt cheated watching this. I didn't expect the great Kyozu to die and for a master swordsman to be killed by a gun is truly devastating and shows that the lives of samurai is coming to an end.
A scene that stuck with me was at the end when the graves of the samurai were shown. We already talked about camera movement, framing of the image, the framing of this scene is typical for a typical action movie where someone dies in the end. Although we knew the fate of these men, this shot is shown by everyone mourning but still fighting for lives, in a very short period of time but they still made time to mourn.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to tell one of my friends what the movie was about I would say, it’s an action and drama film. This is a movie about the role of class in Japanese society and even America today, while also fighting for something that could change their lives. There are seven Samurais who fight for their lives while also protecting the lower class.
Shino's role in this movie I think was to give a perspective of women in society. Although she was Manzo’s daughter all he wants is to protect her but when she falls for Katsushiro thing take a turn. In society it would be frowned upon for her to run off with a samurai and she even wishes she was born into a samurai family. She furthers the theme because she causes a stir up in “society” which leads Manzo to end their love, and not only does he disapprove but the whole country would too.
Like everyone I would say Kikuchiyo affected me the most. Right before his death he killed the bandit chief so that made me feel a little better. He was the one who order the peasants and farmers to look at themselves differently, and pushes them back to ultimately protect them. He would really do anything to protect anyone and always be the hero or show the hero.
The shot of the four buried samurai above the villager graves has remained in my thoughts long after we viewed it. I agree with Regan’s point that the scene is “beautiful and peaceful” and yet woefully desolate and perhaps even hopeless. These emotions made me consider the cost of saving the village and forces me to reflect upon the question: was saving the village worth it to the samurai? I would like to note, as well, that the audience does not even know which grave belong to which samurai, which feels dehumanizing. This moment emphasizes the importance of the samurai as warriors and the irrelevance of them as individuals.
ReplyDeleteSeven Samurai is about a group of samurai that must navigate the challenge of saving the lives of a poor village from their recurring assailants while struggling to come to terms with the significance of their own lives. In doing so, this film explores themes of relationships, gender, class, and morality.
Shino represents the austerity of gender and class systems present in both the time in which the film was set and modern day. Her father, Manzo, is willing to forcibly cut off much of her hair, a possibly traumatizing process, in fear of his own humiliation of his daughter being raped. When Shino does sleep with one of the samurai, Manzo is furious, as he believes her body has been made “damaged goods” while the samurai, in turn, is praised. This term, along with other implications in Manzo’s behavior, blatantly describes that a woman’s value is in her body. Shino also serves to comment on the caste system between the samurai and farmers in her relationship with the young samurai, Katsushiro. Though they share a romantic interest in each other, the two are separated by class divides; a farmer can never be with a samurai.
I agree with my classmates that the death scenes of Kikuchiyo and Kyuzo were memorable, but the samurai whose death most affected me was Gorobei. I found this character’s death most tragic because we never even got to see it, only Gorobei being carried out of the forest with a bullet lund in his chest. Like the deaths of the other three samurai he is robbed of his skill as an archer and his swordsmanship, something for which he has trained his whole life, but unlike the others Gorobei is robbed of the most basic means for heroism; an on screen death. Additionally, the desperation of Kambei’s voice and the pain in his face when he realizes his friend is dead is utterly devastating.
1. A scene that really stuck with me after seeing the last part of this film was when Kyuzo and Kikuchiyo were shot. In the craziness if this final battle, when all the audience wants is for the remaining samurai to live, both Kyuzo and Kikuchiyo are struck down fighting. After both of them are shot, they both struggle to make final impacts for the farmers and the remaining samurai. Kyuzo, whos sword stands no chance against bullets, throwing his sword away was really powerful to me because he’s realized that he’s been killed, and ll he can do is throw his weapon away into the crowd. Kikuchiyo was one of my favorite characters, and his successful efforts to kill one of the bandits after being shot in the gut was extremely powerful to me. It shows how much he wants to fight and what he’ll endure to do so.
ReplyDelete2. Seven Samurai is about honor of the people placed into this caste system of farmers and samurai. The film explores the meaning and purpose of the characters lives as they strategize and fight to stay alive for themselves, their friends and families, and for their caste.
3. I think that Kembei is saying the Samurai lost the fight in many different ways. One being that the farmers get to live on and be safe (at least for the time being) doing what they've always done, picking up life where they left off before the threat of the bandits, while the samurai suffered the loss of four lives, and know have to go back to life without a master, looking for something to make of themselves. The farmers are much better off than they were before the bandits and before the fighting, but the samurai have gained nothing, some even lost their lives.
4. Out of all the death in this film, Kikuchiyo’s death affected me most. I loved Kikuchiyo’s character and how he interacted with the other samurai and the farmers. I think his view of the world and the society they were living in was the most portrayed out of all the characters. I like how he saw the world and I became attached to his character, so when he died, that attachment hurt.
The scene that stood out most to me was the final scene. Before actually getting to the end of the movie I expected the ending to be bittersweet. I knew some of our favorite characters would die, but I expected the samurai to claim victory in the end. Instead, the farmers were the real winners. The samurai left merely survived the fight. Our favorite characters fought and died, but the farmers? They went home, cheering and celebrating right in front of the grieving samurai. I thought the scene would end on a lighter tone when I first saw this, but then the end credits rolled over the screen, just as the last scene rolled over my emotional investment to these characters.
ReplyDelete2. On the surface, the Seven Samurai is a movie about a warrior group coming together to protect a village from marauding bandits. But this movie is really about both people and their places in life; who one is, their motivations, morals, and subsequent actions, all asked in the setting of 16th century feudal Japan.
As mentioned earlier, Shino was both a love interest and a representation of the seperation between classes. The forbidden love trope was clearly shown here with her and Katsushiro, but it was used to emphasize the strict divide between people. When her and Katsushiro embrace, we are led to believe that class does not make it impossible for two to live each other, that regardless of wealth people are the same. But by the end of the movie, Shino herself accepts that she can never be with a samurai, and goes back to the safety(ironically) of a farmer’s daughter.
Kikuchiyo’s death by far was the saddest. First of all, it was unexpected. His character was arguably the most dynamic in the series. He became deeply attached to the farmers and the samurai he fought with. Unfortunately, he was killed in the battle, which marked the death of my favorite character.
One moment that really stuck with me from the last thirty minutes of the film was the moment in which Shino was lying on the ground, in the rain, after her father shamed her in front of the whole village. This moment was very powerful to me because it showed her vulnerability and sexism in their culture. The father's intensity was shocking and really stuck with me as well.
ReplyDeleteThis movie is about honor and perseverance. The film explores topics of death, violence, tragedy, and overcoming in a small farming village.
I agree with Kate and Jordan in the sense that the samurai’s always end up losing even if they gain something for the villagers. Their lives are simply a cycle of violence and even though they won this single battle for the benefit of the villagers, they are still stuck in their cycle and have not truly gained anything for themselves.
The death that affected me the most was the death of Kyuzo. This death affected me the most because throughout the whole film Kyuzo was seen as almost godlike in his vast skill set and Samurai combat. He is looked up to by all of the characters which is why it was so shocking when someone with so much power is defeated to fast and simple.
It struck me how after the bandits were defeated, the farmers became the happiest people around. They were singing and dancing and worked like nothing had happened. They did not acknowledge the samurai, I dont even think they thanked the samurai. It really shows just how rare the seven samurai are who chose to fight for the farmers, and it really upsets me that the farmers did not thank/mourn more.
ReplyDeleteSeven Samurai is about an unlikely group of samurai that come together to protect a village of helpless farmers against brutal bandits against societal and practical odds.
I think the point Kambei is making is that at the end of the day, as long as he and the other samurai are fighting they will always lose, because they are fighting for other people. They will never get to feel the joy that the farmers felt when they won. I understand this point, and think it would be depressing to fight for other people your whole life, and watch the people you get to know and love die around you for no real point, but the Samurai have class from doing this. They have money which means food and shelter which is more than can be said for a lot of people at the time. I can see why a Samurai life is attractive for young people, but after a life without meaning and seeing death just to get by, I can see why they wanted to try to find meaning with the farmers, and I do not think they did..
Gorobei was the death that affected me the most. He just felt like such a genuine and honest man. I was kind of worried about Kambei and whether he would be mean character, but when I saw him interact with Gorobei, I knew he would be kind because Gorobei was so kind. Whenever I saw Gorobei I immediately smiled, so I was very sad when he died.
The moments that really stayed with me were the shots of the graves of the samurai. One by one, as they died a new grave would be added to the line, each with a sword sticking out of it. The pictures of the graves lined up on the hill was a moving image. I also found it interesting that samurai spend their lives fighting for glory, but in the end they just end up buried in some farm village. No matter the glory they earn in battle, they will die just as farmers or townspeople will. Their rank didn't save them for battle. I think this realization also dawned on Kikuchiyo as they died one by one since he was always the own sitting next to the graves. He was obviously upset by his fellow samurais deaths since he would not move from their without provoking.
ReplyDeleteThe Seven Samurai is about seven men who come together to fight without a reward. Throughout the film, they realize that being a samurai will not save them from ultimate death and that the ones who win battles are the ones who suffer the least, not the ones who kill the most.
I agree with Ellie that Shino and Katsushiro’s love story purpose is the highlight how the division between samurai and farmer will always be there, even if they fight alongside each other or love each other. They both lead such different lives and the cultural separation makes so they could never be. This highlights what life was like back then when social hierarchy was still incredibly important in everyday life. The role of Shino was also used to show the woman's side of the story and how woman acted in society back then. The fact that she rarely had speaking lines and was treated like a slut after having sex with one man shows how women were not highly valued except to be wives back then.
Kyuzos death was very moving to me. He had been a samurai who had been steady and strong throughout the whole movie. The fact that he was shot from afar also bothered me because there was no way he could protect himself. As he threw his sword into the rain, he knew his incredible sword skills were nothing compared to gunpowder and bullets.
1. The last scene in the movie was the most striking for me. After the samurai have lost everything, they mourn their fallen brothers while the farmers celebrate in the field right next to them. Even though the farmers are not the enemy, the feeling of utter loss that the samurai felt next to the elated farmers feels even more painful. To put it in very simple words, seeing someone else in a very happy state when you are sad makes the pain even worse. In the last scene when Shino walked right past Katsushiro without saying anything or even making eye contact, it really summed up the feeling of loneliness and detachment that Kambei was talking about earlier.
ReplyDelete2. The Seven Samurai is about the search for purpose in life. It is about coming to the realization that you can go through life and end up realizing much later that you are truly alone and perhaps realize that you didn't accomplish many meaningful things at all during your life.
3. When Kambei says "we have lost again" he is referring to the fact that he was been in many fights and has always survived. He never got to die a warrior's death and saw many friends die along the way. It seems like a cruel stroke of fate that Kambei ended up fighting battles that didn't yield him any meaningful rewards. This realization was exaggerated in the film because the farmers that he defended could only feed him and after they were done with the samurai, they cast them aside.
4. I think Kikuchiyo's death affected me the most. I knew he was going to die based on his gun-ho kind of nature and by the fact he served somewhat as a comic relief character. Even though I knew he was going to die, it still hurt the most because I liked him.
ReplyDeleteThe most prominent scene for me was the scene with Shino and her father after she had come out of the tent with Katsushiro. This took the film into a new direction that I was not expecting, showing us the intense social expectations that were set in place within this town. It was interesting to see how Shino was portrayed as such a weak and voiceless character and to see how even her own father treated her after this incident. The way her father was yelling at her harshly, pushing her to the ground, and hitting her was really hard to see.
I think that this film is about a group of samurais that serve as an example of what it is like to fight selflessly for the benefit of others. Seven Samurai is about this group of men’s difficult journey of giving the ultimate sacrifice to protect this town.
I think that Shino’s story line within this film was really vital, bringing a whole new dimension to the theme. It demonstrated how strict and rigid the social hierarchy is in this town, due to both economic class and gender. The way Shino was shamed for embracing her sexuality, even by her own father, and Katsushiro shamed for having a relationship with a farmer, exemplified a lot of what was important to the people in this town
The death that had the most effect on me was probably Kyuzo. For one, I didn’t really expect for him to be killed, especially in the way that he did. It seemed as though throughout the entire film we had seen him as such a wise and skilled swordsmen, yet at the end of the film he was killed so thoughtlessly and quickly. It also stuck with me seeing Katsuhiro's reaction to his death, because we had seen how Kyuzo had grown into such a strong role model for him throughout the film.
The moment that stuck with me in the last 30 minutes of the movie, was the moment when the three remaining samurai pass by the graves of the other 4. This stuck with me because the shot itself was really beautiful. The swords that were sticking out of the graves was a great image. It really showed the sacrifice that these samurai’s went through for a cause that really had no benefit for them besides doing the right thing.
ReplyDeleteIf someone asked me what this movie was about, I’d say that Seven Samurai is about the struggle and sacrifices that 7 men have to go though in order to protect a village from bandits. These men have to overcome their own faults, while doing something, that by all means, they didn’t have to do.
I think that Shino is in the story to show a woman’s perspective on the whole thing. She also demonstrates a how sex can mean two completely different things if you’re a man versus if you’re a woman. She is beaten by her father for having sex. I also agree with both Kiran and Isaac who said that she adds the perspective of class since she is a villager who is in love with a samurai.
The death that affected me the most was Kikuchiyo because he was so head strong that he ran after whoever shot Kyozu and ended up getting shot himself. He was kind of a joke the entire movie, but in the end, he showed that he was a true samurai by killing the bandit who shot Kyozu even though he was shot himself.
1)The moment when Katsushiro and Shino see each other for the last time in the fields really stuck with me. That was perhaps the most innocent theme of the movie, young love, ended up changing into something tragic by the end. Katsushiro and Shino could never be together, and this was the moment that Katsushiro finally realized that. It took something from the movie that could have been happy, but wasn’t because of real life and the class system at the time. It was heartbreaking.
ReplyDelete2. Seven Samurai is about honor, and how sometimes you should do things just to help other people. It is good to do things that aren’t just for fame or money, but just for the sake of helping others.
3) I agree with what Nora said about how the farmers gained security and learned how to fight, while the samurai made no gain, and lost people. The samurai entered this fight knowing that they were not doing this for money or fame, but rather because these were people that needed them. They helped the farmers learn to fight and defend themselves, and if it weren’t for the farmers heart they would have lost this battle. The samurai were simply tools that helped the farmers win. The battle wasn’t for them, is was for the farmers, the win was inconsequential for the samurai, but everything to the farmers
4)Kyuzo’s death affected me the most. We see this man train in the rain to hone the craft of sword fighting, only to be killed by a gun. For me, it brought this sense of pointlessness to his life and all of his hard work. What is the point of spending all this time training with a sword to fight up close when you can just stand thirty yards from somebody and just shoot them? His final act of throwing his sword also really stuck with me, it was as if he understood the irony of his death in his last moments and wanted to do some sort of damages other people for rendering his talent useless.
1. A scene that stuck with me was at the very end when every farmer was happy and the samurai weren’t. The samurai can only lose in this situation because they gain nothing from winning. Unlike the farmers who are finally free of the bandits.
ReplyDelete2. The Seven Samurai is about a group of men who ignore class separation to risk their lives to help those who aren’t seen as worthy.
3. “ We’ve lost again” this quote means that even though they won that they lost men who didn’t need to die. It’s sound harsh but they didn’t need to even come help the farmers, it wasn’t their problem\fight so there was nothing to win in this situation. I agree with this because they won nothing. They lost friends, they don’t win a high rank or get a celebration from the farmers.
4.Kikuchiyo was a very surprising to me because he had put himself in so many dangerous place and nothing seemed to happen. He was the most funny out of everyone and he wasn’t a real samurai so his class wasn’t high. But the way he charged forward after he was shot to finish was he started was string scene.
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ReplyDeleteThere was this one scene where Shino’s dad found out about Shino and Katsushiro and I loved this one shot in particular where Katsushiro was leaning towards the fence, closing his eyes and looking down in shame. Shino was on the floor crying and Shino’s dad looked shocked and disappointed. This shot was all in one frame and they formed a triangle. Then Shino’s dad got up and left the triangle. I loved that particular shot so much because it showed the story and internal struggle of each of the characters in the situation in one shot and it just told so much in such a short amount of time. It mesmerises me how films have the ability to do that.
ReplyDeleteSeven Samurai is about seven samurai who fight against bandits that are robbing a farmer’s town and in it, discover things about themselves. Other characters as well as the samurai question life as it is, why they are doing what they do, what are the consequences of doing what they do, and the movie leaves you thinking about these things.
I think especially in the time that the movie was released -- 1950s -- the idea that a woman needs to be protected like that at all costs and the idea that if a woman loses her virginity then she is not pure anymore was widely believed among society. I think this story was included to challenge exactly that. It added another dimension to the movie: what is the purpose of a woman’s life? I think it would have been very controversial especially at the time to include the story of Shino and how her father reacted to her involvement with Katsushiro, but I really like that they included it. I agree with Amelia on how strict the social hierarchy is in this town, because the way that Shino’s dad reacted to her involvement was not pleasant at all. I was so surprised when he called her a wench and a slut. I just can’t believe how much power social beliefs had on people.
I definitely think Kikuchiyo death affected me the most because of the way he died. He died what some would call a heroic death, stabbing someone with a sword as he fell. It really got me thinking, since so many soldiers and samurai at the time wanted to die a “heroic” death: is that really the best way to die? Your death ending in violence? I certainly don’t think so. I think one should want to die surrounded by love, hugs and kisses, not violence, dead bodies and blood. I think his death addresses the glorification of war that was encouraged at the time, which relates to the film Paths of Glory that we saw earlier this semester.
1. I think the moment that stayed with me was when Shino was laying on the ground after being yelled at by her father. A crowd gathers around them to see what has happened. After calming Manzo down, they leave. Shino is left sobbing face down in the rain. This scene to me just really showed the lack of empathy towards women. Shino had just been beaten, and called a slut by her own father and people are checking on him. In the eyes of the village, Shino is damaged goods, and in the end we see they don’t see her have a happy ending with Katsushiro. She is really the only major woman and she doesn’t get her happy ending.
ReplyDelete2. The seven samurai is a movie about loss. Kambei says that the samurai lose, and Shino doesn’t get here happy end because the divide between classes will always be a problem. The farmers win but their live will never be the same.
3. More samurai were killed by the end of the movie then were alive. I think he doesn’t want to take away the victory from the farmers, but at the same time they fought as a unit. They lost as samurai, but they were fighting for and with the farmers and it feels unfair to distance themselves from the farmers now. I agree with Jordyn that there can never really be a “happy ending” for the samurai.
4. Kikuchiyo for sure. It wasn’t his death that really got me, but how much we see him grow as a character throughout the film. Near the end he was still incredibly impulsive, but when he runs up to the bandits, he is doing it for the people he is protecting. He died a noble death and he had to overcome so much. In the beginning he would not have taken that bullet for the people fighting alongside him. This movie felt like a coming of age film for Kikuchiyo, so it really hit me hard when he was killed.
I'd say the scene when Manzo began openly beating Shino after she had sex with Katsushiro definitely stood out to me. It wasn't surprising after seeing how Manzo had forcibly cut Shino’s hair earlier in the movie, but even at the time I was watching Katsushiro stand there in silence I thought to myself “How is this relevant to the story and why’d Kurosawa include this?” When I started to really try and understand his reasoning I realized that Shino was not supposed to be a “character.” but rather a representation of a class barrier and every peasant girl at the time. What I mean about this is that Shino is not really supposed to have any individual characteristics that make her unique.
ReplyDeleteImagine Kurosawa as that smart kid in the class and you need to do an assignment that he/she already did and you ask if you can copy it and he/she says “yeah, just make sure you change it a little.” To say it bluntly “Seven Samurai” is the template that everyone in the class/Hollywood copied off of and changed enough to get away with it, just think Marvel, Fast and Furious, Oceans ##, etc.
I believe that Kambei was referring to how pointless it all was. The majority of the seven had already seen far more than their fair share of battle, but they still fought for literally no gratitude whatsoever and lost 4/7 of their original numbers. Kambei had already seen this in his previous battles, but I'm not surprised if Katsushiro is discouraged in the future.
Kikuchiyo hit me the hardest because he was such an important part of the film. Kurosawa had given each character that died a certain target for who would care about each death. In the case of Gorobei, it was mainly Kambe because they were old friends. For Kyozu, it was Katsushiro because he idolized him. Kikuchiyo however was for everyone. The villagers loved him, each of the samurai had learned to love him, and he had by far the most character development that gave the audience a good reason to like and root for him. It was due to these elements that made Kikuchiyo’s death have the biggest emotional response from me.
The scene where Kikuchiyo stumbled into the house where the bandit leader was hiding and managed to kill him even tho Kikuchiyo had been shot. I always saw him as one of the toughest characters in the movie and this scene proved it. I also thought he had grown the most as a person out of all the samurai so it was that much more heart wrenching when he died. I also identified with his constant rage and I found him as very effective comic relief. I would say that he was my favorite character so I found his death quite saddening.
ReplyDeleteSeven Samurai is about a story about seven warriors in feudal Japan who learn a hard truth about their society. I think the divide between the samurai and the farmers is the conflict that is most central to the plot.
I think that when Kambei said “we lost again” he meant that they had lost the battle because so many of their brethren had died. Also, while they had defeated the bandits and defended the village, there was still a large disconnect between the farmers and the samurai. I would agree with Kambei's assessment because the victory over the bandits wasn’t as much the samurai’s as it was the farmers.
The scene from the last 30 minutes of the movie that stayed with me the most had to be the scene following the battle when all the farmers were singing and replanting their crops. This really stuck out to me due to its almost saccharine nature in comparison to what just occurred and put into perspective for me just how much the farmers truly used the samurai. Yes, some farmers died, but it was the samurai who truly had to pay the price to win the day. It made me sad that life was going to go back to normal for the farmers and they could live out their lives fulfilled, but the same was not true for these samurai who have no one and nothing.
ReplyDeleteSeven Samurai is a story about several warriors who decide to risk everything for poor farmers in defiance of a rigid class structure in a time when their way of life is dying out. Along the way we learn lessons about sacrifice, acceptance, and human courage through surprisingly relatable characters.
Shino is in the film to provide the audience with an alternative understanding of courage. She exists to cause us to empathize more fully with the farmers, yet also sets herself apart through her willingness to rear against the status quo. She is sympathetic to us in her drive to seek out and partake in human connection in a world that is ever attempting to stifle her.
The death that affected me most was Kikuchiyo by far. I had been enamored with his character since the very beginning of the film and I really loved the way in which he died. He was overcome with emotion and made a rash decision, something extremely true to his character, yet in the process also triumphed one last time and avenged his friend. The dejected state his body was left in also left a lump in my chest regarding just how little the samurai’s deaths meant and how fragile even people like that can be.
1. The scene that stuck out to me was the last scene because of how the Samurai truly gained nothing from their endeavor. That’s what we were told from the beginning of the story, but you at least thought they were going to be adored by the farmers for their bravery. However that’s not the case; the farmers just go back to farming routines, completely ignoring the Samurai for their efforts. The Samurai truly gained nothing, and that’s a good depiction of war. Soldiers on the field don’t really gain anything from winning battles, only to go on to the next battles just like these surviving Samurai.
ReplyDelete2. It’s about Seven Samurai who undergo a task to defend farmers from Bandits. During their preparations, they learn the themes of classism, ones place in the world, and the ambiguity of good and evil.
3. She represents the class between Societal Influence and Free Will. She is being told that she could never date a Samurai due to class differences. However, she has that urge to love someone no matter the class, mostly on looks and personality. She really out here trying to shoot her shot.
4.Heihachi because we never got to see him in action. Kikuchiyo is great but Heihachi was the real jokester. He had a witty mind , and he could have put that to use during battle, yet we never got to see him flourish in battle. He was my favorite character which makes me a little biased.
In the last 30 minutes of Seven Samurai, I kept replaying Kikuchiyo's death over and over in my head. He was absolutely the most influential character displayed in the narrative. He crossed social barriers by becoming a samurai after growing up as a poor farmer just like the rest of the villagers. Kikuchiyo's death encapsulated his fighting spirit to a T because the man just kept on advancing even though he had already been shot at.
ReplyDeleteSeven Samurai is a movie about the bonds and conflicts that are formed through tough trials. The seven samurai had to come to terms with the consequences of both death and life.
Shino's portrayal of her character was a very challenging thing to watch because at her core, she is a bunch of stereotypes balled into one damsel in distress. In class, we discuss if Shino has any power living on a farm full on men in the 1500s. I think that she has absolutely no say so about what, when, why, and how things happen to her. She is a bystander in her own life. The saddest part is that she really can’t do anything to change that. The sexism and classism portrayed in this movie really push that fact.