Akira Kurosawa’s influential masterpiece in which seven warriors come to the aid of a village and its inhabitants who are being mercilessly attacked by bandits.
One of the greatest films of all time, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samuraihas 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.
Extras
Newly restored in 4K by Toho and presented in High Definition
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, 50 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, 114 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 trailer
2024 restoration trailer
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
Perfect-bound book featuring new and archival writing on the film by Tony Rayns, Cristina Álvarez López, Charlie Brigden, James-Masaki Ryan and Philip Kemp. Also includes original reviews by Gavin Lambert and director Tony Richardson.
