Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai"

Paper Summary:

An examination of Western impact on Japanese film making. The author focuses specifically on Akira Kurosawa?s film "Seven Samurai". The author describes the film makers use of native cinematic styles and techniques and how these go about breaking away from Japanese traditional style and adding more flavor and richer meaning to the film.

From the Paper:

"Referring to his film Seven Samurai director Akira Kurosawa once remarked, "Japanese films tend to be rather bland in flavor, like green tea over rice. I think we ought to have richer foods and richer films. So I thought I would make this kind of film entertaining enough to eat" (Criterion Collection, 2). This statement was a thinly veiled criticism of Kurosawa's contemporary and rival, Yasujiro Ozu (who actually made a film entitled The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice). Ozu adhered dutifully to the traditional Japanese cinematic style, an art heavily influenced by native culture and customs. His films (including the 1953 masterpiece, Tokyo Story) can be characterized by long takes with little or no lateral camera movement (both of which demonstrate the influence of the traditional Japanese "Kabuki Play"). Ozu also uses many extreme low angle shots that often hug the bottom surface of any set. By showing the audience this point of view Ozu reflects the Japanese custom of remaining seated on the floor of a room. While this style is certainly effective and distinct, it is as Kurosawa describes, "rather bland in flavor." In an era when post-war occupation was rapidly opening Japan to western industry and influence, Kurosawa made a bold decision to break from tradition and borrow some key points from Hollywood including slow motion, multiple cameras and camera angles and continuity editing. By embracing these conventions of Western cinema and combining these techniques with the traditions of his native industry, Kurosawa was able to create a unique and powerful portrait of Japan in the waning days of the samurai. Furthermore, the director employs this hybrid style effectively in order to develop his characters, build tension in the audience and drive the plot of his film forward. "

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