Disc Reviews

Seven Samurai 4K Review

• 17th Nov 2024

Even when you spend decades of your life in pursuit of film, finding hidden gems, and repeat viewings of your favourite films, there is still an awful lot of film out there that you miss, and all too often this includes already well-established classics.  For my part, this included Seven Samurai. I knew of it, I knew its influence on cinema and had probably seen all of the films that remade its premise (The Magnificent Seven, Battle Beyond the Stars, Three Amigos!) without ever making the effort to seek out the original.

Thanks then to the BFI and their new 4K restoration of the film. Now, whilst it’s from the 50s and is nearly a pan and scan cut, the film is probably in the best condition we have had so far from any publisher. But before I even get to the picture, sound and extras, the first thing that blew my mind was that the film is three and a half hours long! So make sure you have the time on your hands before you take this one on.

The premise is fairly simple. Bandits are terrorising a small village, so the villagers turn to warriors for help. The subtext and the characters are where the riches are found within the film. Every man has a history and a story to tell and they each get along very differently with each other and key members of the village they have come to protect.

It’s a well-worn story now but remains a classic and original for many for so very long and deserves restoration and preserving for generations to come

There isn’t much you can expect in terms of upgrades when it comes to the sound and music quality. This will always be an “of the time” thing how they recorded their sound and music and unless fresh scores and foley work were done, the film is perhaps lovingly stuck with what it has.  The picture is where the remastering shows itself with older films. Black and White films in particular have a tendency to pop more on screen when they are given the 4K polish.

As for the extras package, the 4K disc houses a new commentary from critic Adrian Martin.  The Blu-ray disc houses most of the interview features. There are a couple of lengthy interview discussions with Akira Kurosawa. These are fairly later on in his life, but still vintage as of course the director is no longer with us to comment further. A couple of essay/scene-specific commentary pieces add depth to the package.  As for the hard materials, there is a set of postcards and an 80-page book with writing from various contributors.

Steven Hurst

Seven Samurai is out on 18^th November

• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Newly recorded audio commentary by film critic Adrian Martin
• Philip Kemp selected scenes commentary (1999, 20 mins): film critic and writer Philip Kemp analyses key scenes from the film. Recorded for the BFI’s 1999 DVD release.
• Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create – Seven Samurai (2002, 49 mins)
• The Art of Akira Kurosawa (2013, 49 mins): Asian-cinema expert Tony Rayns discusses Kurosawa’s career and influence
• My Life in Cinema (1993, 116 mins): a conversation between filmmakers Akira Kurosawa and Nagisa Oshima filmed for the Directors Guild of Japan in 1993 – the two legendary directors discuss Kurosawa’s life, career and legacy
• Original theatrical trailer
• Restoration trailer (2024)
• Image gallery
• Double-sided poster featuring artwork by Matt Needle and the BFI’s poster designed for the film’s rerelease
• A set of four postcards featuring iconic scenes from the film
• 80-page book with new essays by Tony Rayns, Cristina Álvarez López, Charlie Brigden and James-Masaki Ryan, plus writing by Philip Kemp and Jasper Sharp, and contemporary reviews by Gavin Lambert and director Tony Richardson.
• Updated and improved English subtitles