Taking Sides: The Seven Samurai v. The Magnificent Seven

In fact, this is the same point as Pete's, as the highlight (for me) of SS is the scene with Toshiro Mifune where they realise that the peasants have been killing samurai for years, and Toshiro yells at them for a bit. Which is also related to the last line, one of the best ever.

Not that TM7 isn't a great film, though. That line, etc. Apparently Brad Dexter was this swimmer who saved Frank Sinatra's life, and Frank asked John Sturges to stick him in a film somewhere.

The Mexican tourist board wouldn't let them portray grubby Mexicans, so the all villagers are in bright white clothes throughout. For this alone, the decision hat to go to SS. Science has spoken!

I seem to remember it being a fairly enjoyable romp.

Yojimbo Vs A Fistful of Dollars Vs Last Man Standing?

Also the Magnificent Seven has a bitchin' soundtrack.

On the Yojimbo/Fistful O'Dollars/Last Man Standing conundrum I think Last Man Standing is often under-rated. Walter Hill's best movie of the nineties.

I think that given its classic status (like we all know the outcome of Macbeth so Throne of Blood has a predictable ending) and the fact that few Western people will come to SS without seeing MS first, you don't need to guess the outcome - but the fact that they are so outnumbered, the opposition have rifles, and four of them do die, surely makes it less of a routine victory than say that of Buffy or Spider-Man every episode? Anyway, this seems no real drawback to me.

Do you think that "Walter Hill's best movie of the nineties" is very high praise? I thought you listed those three in order of worth, personally.

also, there is definetly a mythology of the samurai sword as well as of bushido.

I'm in the middle of watching Seven Samurai again, and then will move on to Magnificent Seven, which I haven't seen yet.

Some points I thought of that were interesting: 'A Bug's Life' (Pixar) is essentially a 7 Samurai remake. Consider the genius of that.

Dave Foley was the voice of the main Ant in Bug's Life. Consider the genius of that!

the 13th warrior

...was a terrible film.

Yes I don't get why you put that on here.

I saw Battle Beyond the Stars at the flicks when it came out. From what I remember, it was fucking dope.

Tuomas, Magnificent Seven just feels like a very different movie from The Seven Samurai - it has a big happy matinee feel, lots of colour and of course that soundtrack. Less dirt, less rain (is there any rain? I can't remember.) But at the same time it sticks pretty close to the heart of the original plot, the power dynamics are similiar and it's a dark, tense, violent movie in many ways. I actually prefer it to The Seven Samurai, but then I have a pretty erratic relationship with Kurosawa's stuff (love Stray Dog, Throne Of Blood and Kagemusha, thought most of the other big ones I saw were just ok.)

You have to be in a Bergman kind of mood to watch Kurosawa.

http://i17.tinypic.com/6ptj2ua.gif

Yeah, I don't see much similarities between Kurosawa and Bergman. Kurosawa's films are generally easy to approach and underneath it all kinda optimistic.

Yeah Ran is an optimist classic.

Not all of his films, obviously. But I do think movies like Seven Samurai or Red Beard are, even with all tragic bits, life-affirming at heart.