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'The Seven Samurai' & 'The Magnificent Seven', 2006.
A comparison between the films 'The Seven Samurai' and 'The Magnificent Seven'.
1,210 words (approx. 4.8 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 41.95
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Abstract
This paper takes a look at Akira Kurosawa's film, 'The Seven Samurai' and John Sturges' film, 'The Magnificent Seven'. According to the paper, 'The Magnificent Seven' is an American adaptation of the Japanese film 'The Seven Samurai'. The paper compares and contrasts these two films.
From the Paper
"According to Gary Morris, the character portrayed by Mifune is exuberant yet doomed and "brilliantly embodies the very different aspirations of the two groups. He exists precariously between them--a farmer's son who hates the samurai for having destroyed his village during his youth, but now a man who is drawn to their honor code, camaraderie and lust for adventure" ("Seven Samurai," Internet). This statement is a clear indication of the social culture within Kurosawa's masterpiece, meaning that Mifune greatly dislikes the culture from which the samurai have risen, yet he is mysteriously drawn to the honor they exhibit in the face of danger and death. In The Magnificent Seven, all of the main characters are part of a culture that exists on the fringes of society, yet as adventurers, they are drawn to the honor that may come as a result of defeating the Mexican bandits."
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"Seven Samurai" vs. "The Magnificent Seven", 2007.
A comparison of the films "Seven Samurai" and "The Magnificent Seven."
1,119 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 0 sources, $ 38.95
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Abstract
This paper compares the films "Seven Samurai," directed by Akira Kurosawa and "The Magnificent Seven," directed by John Sturges. The paper analyzes several elements of filmmaking, focusing mainly on cinematography, editing and acting. It also addresses the use of vignettes and deep focus. The paper focuses on the aspects that differentiate the two films.
From the Paper
"Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) and John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven (1960) are a great example of how film can come full circle. Kurosawa's film came about due to the popularity of Hollywood westerns in Japan at the time. In turn, Sturges was inspired by Seven Samurai and remade it using the Hollywood style of film making. Both films follow the same basic plot. A rural village is beset upon by a gang of bandits on an annual basis. The villagers decide to band together whatever small amount of wealth is left to pay mercenaries to defend them. Seven heroes are recruited and together they ultimately fend off the bandits at great cost to the group. Both films highlight the differences in the mercenaries and their experience. They both address class issues between drifter and peasant. Also, each film is considered one of the greatest if not the best in its genre of samurai films and western films respectively. However, there are major differences between the two. While there are minor differences between the plots (The villagers in The Magnificent Seven actually begin by searching for guns not gunfighters), it is the balance between cinematography, editing, and acting used to tell the story that really differentiate the two films."
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"Seven Samurai" and "Magnificent Seven", 1999.
Compares Akira Kurosawa's original film and the American remake by John Sturges.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 4 sources, $ 47.95
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Abstract
Compares Akira Kurosawa's original film and the American remake by John Sturges. Discusses style, structure, world view, cultural aspects, myths and plots
From the Paper
"Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai is an example of the circularity of film genres in the world cinema. Kurosawa was influenced in his samurai films by the motifs and icons of the American Western film, which was very popular in Japan as elsewhere, and in turn his Seven Samurai would become an influence on later American Westerns, notably the remake of Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven. A comparison of the two films, though, shows very different aesthetic attitudes and also very different industry structures. The Kurosawa film is an ensemble piece in which the director shapes the movement of the film like an epic ballet, while the American version is structured more as a star vehicle with a number of individual star turns to appeal to different segments of the audience.
Noel Burch notes that Japanese cinema is fundamentally ..."
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Creolite Influences in "Solibo Magnificent", 2003.
An examination of the use of language in Patrick Chamoiseau's novel, "Solibo Magnificent," to challenge conventions arising from colonialism in the Caribbean and to support the Creolite political movement.
1,446 words (approx. 5.8 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 47.95
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Abstract
This paper illustrates how the author of "Solibo Magnificent" introduces and discusses the racial tensions and cultural oppression present in the French Caribbean through the creative use of language. The paper demonstrates how the author manages to criticize the status quo and to propose an alternate political outlook in the Caribbean, while telling a beautiful and poignant tale of a Creole-speaking storyteller.
From the Paper
"Knowledge of the greater literary movement of Chamoiseau and his colleagues is necessary for an understanding of the aim of his work. The novel finds its foundation in the Creolite movement of the 1980s. Creolite was officially founded in the 1989 work Eloge de la Creolite (In Praise of Creoleness) by Chamoiseau and two other Martinicans, Raphael Confiant and Jean Bernabe as a reaction to the popular Negritude movement of the 1930-60s. Negritude argues for a cultural transfer of the Caribbean Islands from their French colonial heritage to their African roots. Yet the authors of Eloge see a flaw in this line of reasoning: it omits the Chinese, Indian, Syrian, and Lebanese ancestry of many of the inhabitants of the islands. Therefore, they attack both Negritude and the French colonial culture and instead embrace the very mixing of ethnicities that the term Creole presupposes."
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Origin and History of the Warrior Samurai Class of Japan, 1971.
This paper discusses the historical origins of the Samurai and gives an overview of the Samurai in the 12th through 19th centuries.
2,250 words (approx. 9.0 pages), 14 sources, $ 79.95
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From the Paper
"One of the earliest historical records of Japan suggests that by the late third or early fourth century a powerful warrior clan or group of clans living in the Yamato basin, an extremely rich and fertile plain in central Honshu, had subdued chieftains living in other parts of the country by a series of bloody wars. As a result of this conquest, the defeated chieftains acknowledge the hegemony of the chieftain of the Yamato clan.
Basic to the innovations of the seventh and early eighth centuries was a new concept of the ruler. The reformers borrowed the Chinese notion of an absolute monarch whose authority transcended the ties of kinship. He was to rule with the aid of wise and able ministers who would be appointed at his will and who would place loyalty and service to him above their own selfish interests."
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"The Taming of the Samurai", 2006.
A critical sociological analysis of honorific individualism in the process of Japanese State formation as communicated in the book " The Taming of the Samurai" by Eiko Ikegami.
2,722 words (approx. 10.9 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 81.95
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Abstract
In this book review of "The Taming of the Samurai" by Eiko Ikegami the author looks at the book as a critical sociological analysis of Japanese state formation. He centers on the fact that in reconstructing the history of Japanese state development, Ikegami focuses on the samurai class and the honorific individualism by which that class is historically defined. The author explains "The Taming of the Samurai" as an exploration of samurai class identity as it was constructed, maintained and reformulated within progressive periods of medieval and modern Japanese history. In conclusion the author regards "The Taming of the Samurai" as an argument of remarkable clarity, ambition and integrity stating that Ikegami has undertaken a broad historical survey, addressing multiple centuries of Japanese history and arriving at a compelling evaluation of samurai honor as the decisive cultural resource articulating Japanese state formation.
From the Paper
"Ikegami has at this point led her reader down a path of coherent historical argument, arriving at a convincing theory of Japanese State formation as the result of samurai's honorific individualism. The Tokugawa shogunate represented the strict, hierarchical socio/political organization of early Japanese statehood. The true vitality of the samurai honor culture under the Tokugawa becomes apparent once more after the Meiji restoration in 1868. (Ikegami 360) The revival of meritocratic rewards and the rebirth of incentive for individual accomplishment witnessed the reemergence of the samurai class as national leaders in the process of rapid-paced, Japanese Westernization and modernization."
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?The Last Samurai", 2005.
An analysis of Tom Cruise's movie "The Last Samurai".
1,000 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 35.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the movie "The Last Samurai" with an emphasis on embellishing historical facts for pure entertainments reasons. It looks at how, even though the film was a blockbuster success, the screenplay fails in terms of the factual portrayal of a part of Japan's history by romanticizing the Samurai myth.
Outline
The Real Samurai vs The Movie Samurai
The White Samurai
Conclusion
From the Paper
"The character of Captain Algren was pro-Samurai, not necessarily as a supporter of their ideology but a follower of their values of discipline and loyalty. Algren's pro-Samurai inclination was obviously meant to show how, in the face of the modern Japanese man being coaxed by Americans, there was still some good left in the "white" man. Algren's character was simply too good to be true. He was a "victim" of the Civil war that saw him traumatized by the inhumane actions which he was forced to do against Native American Indians since he was a member of a cavalry tasked to exterminate the breed. Then, without explaining further that Algren and the American contact of the Japanese were civil war buddies, Japanese officials are forced to take a drunken excuse for a former soldier as a trainer of an army planned to quell the Samurai rebellion."
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Samurai vs. Ninja, 2006.
This paper examines the various differences in the Samurai and Ninja philosophies, which many in Western culture consider to be one in the same.
3,012 words (approx. 12.0 pages), 11 sources, MLA, $ 88.95
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Abstract
This well-researched and clearly written paper details the numerous differences in both the Samurai and Ninja philosophies. Due to the differences in their religious and social origins, valuing ceremony versus intimidation and their general code of fighting ethics, the Samurai and the Ninja followed different paths of honor. The writer details the religious aspects of both Japanese warriors. The Samurai were strongly associated with religions that enforced inflexible dogmas. The Samurai were generally Shintoists or followers of Confucianism. In contrast, the Ninja were associated with religions that did not have strict unmovable dogmas. The Ninja were mainly Zen Buddhists. This paper examines the Samurai and Ninja's role and status in Japanese society. The Samurai were considered an exalted part of society, whereas the Ninja were perceived as social outcasts. The writer also delves into the fact that the Ninja and the Samurai warriors occupied different social classes and approached life with very different personal philosophies. The fact that the Samurai and the Ninja held such different values helps to explain the vast differences between the two groups of warriors, which are detailed in this paper.
From the Paper
"Although the Ninja were considered social outcasts, they were not solitary. In fact, the Ninja worked in organizations, which were separated into three layers: jonin (high ninja), chunin (middle ninja), and genin (low ninja). The ninjas all worked under a daimyo. Structure within Ninja groups ranged, with some having little structure and others being organized almost like an army unit ("Ninja"). However organized, all Ninja followed the ninpo or okite. The most important rule of the ninpo was to keep the secret of the Ninja. In fact, the most severe crime was to leave a Ninja family and not return ("Ninja"). Those who did so were called nukenin, and their family members would bring them back, whether dead or alive ("Ninja"). This was done in order to prevent ninjas from revealing the secret of the Ninja or of revealing the identity of the daimyo for whom the ninjas were working."
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"Code Of The Samurai", 2002.
Discussion of the Samurai warrior class.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 1 source, $ 39.95
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Abstract
Discussion of the Samurai warrior class. Its domination of early Japanese society. Equivalent of Sumarai class in other societies, Europe and the U.S. Films about the Sumarai. Moral code of the Samurai depicted in the book CODE OF THE SAMURAI written to education yhoung Samurai in the 18th Century. The training program. Influence of Confuscianism.
From the Paper
"Code of the Samurai
The samurai warrior class came to dominate Japanese society because for most of its history the country has been at war. Apart from the Mongol invasions of the 13th century and the debacle of World War II, the warfare has been internal ? warlords fighting each other, or the central authority of the shogun.
One has only to see some of the historical dramas filmed by the great director Akira Kurosawa, such as The Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Throne of Blood, or Ran to get a vivid sense of what the samurai were all about. Once the strangeness (to Westerners) of the bizarre dress and armor is registered, and one gets acclimated to a different culture and age, the motivations of the characters become clearer. For the samurai, there is usually an issue of honor to ..."
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"Life among the Samurai", 2004.
An analysis of Eleanor J. Hall?s book, "Life among the Samurai".
1,703 words (approx. 6.8 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 55.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses Hall's book, which contains stories that span the possibilities of experience from birth to death. She talks about the political life of the samurai, as well as family life. The book is a compilation of the experiences of life in Japan, if one happened to be samurai during the medieval period of history. The book covers both times of peace and times of war as it looks at the lives of different types of samurai.
From the Paper
"The Samurai class of Japan seems to have made a difference in how women were treated, even though women were included as being Samurai and had to follow the Bushido code of conduct. It seems, especially after reading the stories in Life Among The Samurai, that the class distinction and level of poverty added to the intensity of male dominance. Women as a group have been historically disadvantaged relative to men of their race, class, ethnicity, or sexual identity. The roles of wife and mother have, seemingly, been seen as being accomplished through acts of sacrifice and suffrage."
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Samurai Ethics, 2005.
A look at the Japanese Samurai system and it's effect and influences on Japanese culture.
3,150 words (approx. 12.6 pages), 12 sources, $ 124.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the development of the Samurai system in Japan and the ethical system that was created for the Samurai which, in turn shaped the behavior of the bushi, or warriors. According to this paper, this ethical system was influenced by Buddhism and Confucianism as well as other ethical systems and religious doctrines. This indicates how the Samurai system affected other aspects of Japanese culture."
From the Paper
"Most Westerners know Samurai only from films, and such depictions give only a sense of the social, religious, political, and ethical aspects of the Samurai class in Japanese society. The comparison often made with the Western gunfighter is only partially applicable, and the Samurai held a much more important and respected place in Japanese society for a much longer period of time. The ethical elements in Samurai thought are particularly powerful and controlling of Samurai behavior and serve to give the Samurai class the basis for its social position and for the respect of the people. "
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Yasushi Inoue's "The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan", 2008.
A review of the book "The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan" by Yasushi Inoue.
1,467 words (approx. 5.9 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 48.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how the book "The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan" by Yasushi Inoue introduces the reader to many aspects of the Samurai class in Japanese history and to the role of Bushido. The paper explains that the primary focus of Bushido is on loyalty and honor, tied to the mastery of the martial arts and the physical requirements for being a warrior. It then looks at how these elements are included as part of the texture of this novel, written in modern times about the Japan of the sixteenth century, a turbulent time in Japanese history through which the Samurai and its code provided a bulwark against deeper change.
From the Paper
"The Zen school placed its greatest emphasis on self-power, on the active mobilization of all one's energies towards the realization of the ideal of enlightenment. In its more austere forms Zen Buddhism had no time for rituals or philosophical study. It found favor with the samurai class for all these reasons. Their fortunes were then in the ascendant, and their members, men who lived constantly under the shadow of death, needed a spiritual way that would give them an authentic path of spiritual development. At the same time, Zen had an aesthetic side in the Zen virtues of spontaneity, simplicity, tranquility, and aloneness. "
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"The Samurai", 2008.
A review of the theme and the historical context of "The Samurai," written by Shusaku Endo.
2,022 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 64.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes and reviews the novel "The Samurai," written by Shusaku Endo. The paper provides the historical background that the novel is based on and discusses the context in which it was written. It describes the themes and plot of the book and discusses some of the points of view revealed in review articles related to "The Samurai."
From the Paper
"After the ill-fated expedition to Rome, by the time Hasekura returned to Japan, the period known at the Tokugawa shogunates had begun. The shoguns and the samurai warrior class saw no merit in Western culture, and no need to expose themselves to any aspect of it. They closed off the West and they barred Christianity because Christianity offered any idea the shogunates feared: social mobility, no matter how unworldly, no matter how limited. The shoguns and the samurai maintained a society of defined and rigidly fixed class lines. In a nation of some 30 million, the two million Samurai held brutal power, this class open only by birth to a samurai family. Social mobility was non-existent. Each person had an allotted place and stayed in it."
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The Vicissitudes of Samurai Culture, 2008.
This essay compares two early Japanese texts, "Shomonki: The Story of Masakado's Rebellion", translated by Judith Rabinovitch, and "The Tale of the Heike", translated by Burton Watson.
2,057 words (approx. 8.2 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 64.95
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Abstract
This paper examines two texts which were written more than one hundred years apart, both detailing samurai wars but written at two disparate points in samurai history. The paper also assesses the changes in the way in which samurai exploits were portrayed, and in particular, attempts to chart the progression of the concept of loyalty within the samurai realm over the course of its early history. The first text examined is "Shomonki: The Story of Masakado's Rebellion", written in 1099, when the samurai was a relatively new figure in society. The second text "The Tale of the Heike", also known as "Heike Monogatari", was written in 1221, when samurai involvement in government had increased, wars between clans had escalated, and samurai culture had become a distinctive and ubiquitous feature of greater Japanese culture.
From the Paper
"Shomonki was written during the Heian period, by someone who was probably a first-hand observer (Rabinovitch, 44-45), and it is instructive in detailing the types of disputes which did, in the end, lead to the rise of the Samurai and also to the fall of the Heian court. Tales of the Heike, on the other hand, was written during the Kamakura period, when the samurai had become such a force in society that the traditional aristocracy of the court had been replaced by a new warrior aristocracy--with warring samurai clans fighting for and seeking control. In particular, Tales of the Heike, chronicles the Genpei war, between the Heike (or Taira) and Minamoto (or Genji) clans. It tells the tale from the perspective of both sides and, interestingly, focuses not only on battles, military strategy and the lives of warriors, but also on lesser players, such as women and servants, and their stories and plights throughout. The samurai, of course, gained government power in the twelfth century and it seems that around the tie that The Tales of the Heike were written, the samurai ethics, including that of loyalty, had changed to such an extent that it become an expectation of all people--a cultural value, rather than a warrior code."
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The Samurai Code, 2002.
Examines the history, the codes and beliefs of the Samurai.
1,775 words (approx. 7.1 pages), 7 sources, $ 66.95
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Abstract
The following paper will consider the Samurai in four parts: history, the development of the code, the belief and way of the Samurai, and the Bushido code.
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