description
One of the greatest films of all time, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai has influenced the work of directors from George Lucas to Steven Spielberg, and spawned remakes, most notably John Sturges’ acclaimed The Magnificent Seven.
When 16th-century farmers whose village is repeatedly attacked by merciless bandits ask an elderly masterless samurai (Takashi Shimura) for help, offering nothing but food in return, he hesitantly agrees and assembles a band of warriors to defend and train the villagers. Boasting terrific performances (with Shimura and Toshiro Mifune – as a peasant masquerading as a samurai – particularly memorable), superb camerawork, and expertly mounted battle sequences, Seven Samurai is undoubtedly one of the greatest action movies ever made.
Newly restored in 4K by Toho, the BFI is delighted to be able to rerelease this all-time classic on Blu-ray in a limited edition 2-disc set with a book, a set of four postcards and a double-sided poster.
Features
- Newly restored in 4K by Toho and presented in High Definition
- Newly recorded audio commentary by film critic Adrian Martin
- Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create – Seven Samurai (2002, 50 mins)
- The Art of Akira Kurosawa (2013, 49 mins): Asian-cinema expert Tony Rayns discusses Kurosawa's career and influence
- Original trailer
- BFI rerelease trailer
- 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
- Perfect-bound book featuring new and archival writing on the film
- Updated and improved English subtitles
- Other extras TBC