Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Seven Samurai 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 12, 2024

Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" (1954) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include archival audio commentary with scholars and critics David Desser, Joan Mellen, Stephen Prince, Tony Rayns, and Donald Richie; archival audio commentary with Japanese film expert Michael Jack; the documentary "Akira Kurosawa - It Is Wonderful to Create"; video interview with Akira Kurosawa and Nagisa Oshima; the documentary "Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences"; and more. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Note: The text below was initially used in our review of Criterion's Blu-ray release of Seven Samurai, produced in 2010.

I thought for a long time how to approach Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. When one is asked to critique a film of this magnitude, one naturally feels uneasy. After all, what is it that one could write about Seven Samurai that has not already been written? Everyone knows the story, everyone has seen images from the film, and everyone knows how influential the film has been for generations of different directors.

In the booklet provided with this splendid Blu-ray release, there is a wonderful tribute written by the great American director Sidney Lumet. In it, he points out that nature always plays an important role in Kurosawa’s films, and suggests that in a way it completes their characters. I believe that Lumet is right. No other classic Japanese director, aside from perhaps Kenji Mizoguchi, understood and treated nature quite like Kurosawa did.

In Seven Samurai nature is once again a force to be reckoned with. The villagers are poor, weak and disillusioned men who have struggled with it for years. They need someone to help them get rid of the bandits who have been terrorizing their village, but all that they could offer is three meals per day. Nature has not been kind to the villagers, and they know it.

Interestingly enough, the samurai who agree to help are also poor, weak and disillusioned men. The way they carry themselves suggests otherwise, but the longer Kurosawa’s camera follows them, the easier it is to see that like the villagers they are men who have struggled a lot (in fact, Kikuchiyo, the samurai played by Toshiro Mifune, was born a peasant). Some of these men have been unemployed for years, wandering alone through the countryside, looking for someone to hire them and a place to call home.

Yet even though there are all these poor and disillusioned characters who do not seem particularly optimistic about their future, Seven Samurai is arguably Kurosawa’s most inspirational film. The bonds that form between the villagers and the samurai, their willingness to stand united and fight the bandits, as well as their determination to resist nature’s strange desire to punish them yet again (the final battle in the film takes place during a torrential rainstorm) are indeed impossible not to admire.

Modern films about heroes could never be as moving and engrossing as Seven Samurai. And there are a number of reasons why. First, because like the samurai in Kurosawa’s film, most heroes these days are struggling or unemployed -- this is the age of the superheroes. Second, because modern moviegoers do not have the patience to befriend film characters. It takes time to get to know someone and trust him (which is why Seven Samurai runs at 207 minutes), and nowadays, everyone is in a rush. Third, because few directors still have the desire and stamina to be inventive and original. Most are cheaters, some rather good but still cheaters, with an endless arsenal of CGI effects.

I envy those of you who are going to experience Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai for the first time. I first saw it many years ago at a place where foreign films were rarely screened. Most were also routinely censored. Times are different now, and a lot of the films my generation could only dream about seeing are just a mouse-click away, which is why I strongly encourage you to take advantage of Criterion’s wonderful Blu-ray release of Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. It is a real treasure.

Seven Samurai 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Criterion's release of Seven Samurai is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked".

Please note that all screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

Seven Samurai made its high-definition debut with this Blu-ray release in 2010, which was sourced from a 2K master. The combo pack introduces an exclusive new 4K restoration. In native 4K, the 4K restoration cannot be viewed with Dolby Vision or HDR grades.

After viewing the 4K restoration earlier today, I spent several hours comparing it to the previous 1080p presentation, which I like a lot. I had a difficult time forming an opinion about the quality of the former because many things on it are done very well, but there are also a few that I think could have been managed better.

The film looks very clean and stable now. Virtually all transitions between the different segments look very even as well, so it is easy to declare that fluidity is improved. Density levels are fantastic, and even in areas with inherited small but noticeable fluctuations, the visuals look tighter. If you have a large screen, this is an improvement that you will easily notice and appreciate. Delineation, clarity, and depth range from very good to excellent. However, there are sequences, usually with panoramic outdoor footage, where delineation, clarity, and depth are not optimal. These are inherited source limitations that were also visible on the previous presentation. However, trained eyes will spot traces of light grain management, and in some areas, usually with panoramic footage, delineation and depth are impacted. How much? Not a lot, but because other areas look wonderful, it is easy to conclude that the raw 4K master is terrific, so it would have been better if these adjustments were avoided. Why were they made? To rebalance the visuals as best as possible. (For what it's worth, similar work was done on the previous presentation as well). Close-ups usually look outstanding, and better than they do in 1080p. The grayscale is fantastic. I think that this is another area where the 4K restoration offers easy to apprecioate improvements, though it must be said that the superior dynamic range of the visuals helps as well.

What is the final verdict on the 4K restoration, and should you consider an upgrade? While the 4K restoration could have been slightly more convincing, it gives the film a healthy and attractive organic appearance. I think that the most meaningful improvements become very easy to appreciate on a larger screen, so if you have one, consider an upgrade.

Seven Samurai 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: Japanese LPCM 1.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

While I prefer the LPCM 1.0 track, I am not opposed to viewing Seven Samurai with the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. I just find the former to be very effective, though its native limitations are easy to recognize. I do not know if any improvements were made on it while the film was restored in 4K. If any were made, I could not tell. All exchanges are clear and the action footage has good dynamic intensity, but from time to time the audio can become a tad thin.

Seven Samurai 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary One - Scholars' Roundtable - a fascinating commentary with popular scholars and critics David Desser, Joan Mellen, Stephen Prince, Tony Rayns, and Donald Richie discussing the history of Seven Samurai, its landmark status, the impact on generations of different filmmakers, etc. The commentary gathers content recorded between 2005 and 2006.

• Commentary Two - Michael Jeck - an audio commentary with Japanese film expert Michael Jack, which was recorded exclusively for Criterion in 1988. Most viewers are probably already familiar with it since it appeared on Criterion's DVD release of Seven Samurai.

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Commentary One - Scholars' Roundtable - in this archival commentary, scholars and critics David Desser, Joan Mellen, Stephen Prince, Tony Rayns, and Donald Richie discuss the history of Seven Samurai, its landmark status, its impact on generations of different filmmakers, etc. The commentary gathers content recorded between 2005 and 2006.

• Commentary Two - Michael Jeck - this archival audio commentary was recorded by Japanese film expert Michael Jack, and initially appeared on Criterion's DVD release of Seven Samurai.

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• Akira Kurosawa - It Is Wonderful to Create - an archival documentary on the making of Seven Samurai, part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create, featuring interviews with various Kurosawa collaborators, including writer Masayuki Yui, screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto, director Hiromichi Horikawa, set decorator Koichi Hamamura, script supervisor Teruyo Nogami, lighting technician Mitsuo Kaneko, actors Seiki Miyaguchi and Yoshio Tsuchiya. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (50 min).

• My Life in Cinema: Akira Kurosawa - a lengthy video interview, filmed for the Directors Guild of Japan in 1993, featuring Akira Kurosawa and Nagisa Oshima. The two directors discuss Kurosawa's life, career and legacy. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (116 min).

• Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences - a very good archival documentary, produced exclusively for Criterion, focusing on the important role the samurai occupy in Japanese history, art, and cinema. With comments by various scholars and critics, including Tony Rayns, Donald Richie, and David Desser. In English and Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (56 min).

• Promotional Materials
• Trailer One - In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (5 min).
• Trailer Two - Without sound. (3 min).
• Trailer Three - In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (3 min).
• Teaser Trailer - In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (1 min).

• Galleries
• Behind the scenes - (B&W, 1080p).
• Posters - Japanese, Polish, British, U.S., Argentine. (Color, 1080p).

• Booklet - 60-page illustrated booklet containing Kenneth Turan's essay "The Hours and Times"; Peter Cowie's essay "Seven Rode Together"; Philip Kemp's essay "A Time of Honor"; Peggy Chiao's essay "Kurosawa's Early Influences"; Alain Silver's essay "The Rains Came"; Stuart Galbraith's essay "A Magnificent Year"; a tribute from Arthur Penn; a tribute from Sidney Lumet; and Toshiro Mifune: In His Own Words.

Seven Samurai 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While a few things could have been done differently, the new 4K restoration of Seven Samurai is a winner, and I think that the many fans of the film will be quite happy with it. This upcoming combo pack also retains all bonus features that were included on the first Blu-ray release of the film, which Criterion produced in 2010. If you plan to pick it up for your library, keep in mind that the 4K restoration is available only on the 4K Blu-ray. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.