‘Seven Samurai’ | The Fate of Suicide and Failure

This remarkable black-and-white film seamlessly integrates commercial appeal with artistic aesthetics. Akira Kurosawa not only incorporates Hollywood's aesthetic tastes but also captivates audiences with the traditional samurai spirit of Japan, profoundly dissecting the tragic destiny of Japanese warriors—destined to be a class of hired fighters doomed to failure.

Akira Kurosawa is not just an excellent director but also a brilliant screenwriter. His famous films are personally scripted by him and are characterized by solid storytelling and captivating narratives. Coupled with his powerful narrative ability and philosophical artistic thinking, he showcases his filmmaking talent in this movie. Despite its three-hour runtime, the film remains engaging, leaving the audience with a lingering sense of depth and meaning.

The film ostensibly tells the story of impoverished peasants in feudal Japan hiring samurai to protect their food supply. However, it delves deeper into the existential state of samurai during Japan's Warring States period. As a class, samurai, with their martial skills, chivalry, and pride, often resort to extreme measures such as ritual suicide to preserve their honor. This portrayal either garners admiration or is seen as perverse. It is precisely this tragic samurai spirit that has made the Japanese formidable. Japan, an island nation with scarce domestic resources, had to strive to survive, and this pressure shaped the national psyche, ultimately leading to World War II.

As the title suggests, the film depicts seven samurai with distinct personalities. Each character is portrayed through unique scenes or events, such as the visionary Kambei, the young and emotional Katsushiro, and the farm-born Kikuchiyo. Notably, Kambei and Kikuchiyo's characters are exceptionally well-crafted. Kambei, humble, wise, and generous, recounts a lifetime of battles ending in defeat—a reflection of the tragic fate of the samurai that Kurosawa aims to convey. Kambei's recruitment of samurai vividly illustrates their existential status at the time, as they willingly take on the role of protectors for the lower peasant class, perhaps the only purpose for their existence. Throughout Japanese history, from the Warring States period to WWII, samurai played a central role in warfare, driven by the ethos of bushido. Kambei's character and philosophy are depicted using rich Eastern philosophical metaphors, adding depth to his portrayal.

Kikuchiyo provides comedic relief throughout the film, with his antics lightening the mood. Despite his eccentricity and rudeness, he plays a crucial role in communicating with the peasants and combating the bandits. As a peasant, he understands their plight, bridging the class divide. His dedication to proving himself worthy of being a samurai is evident in his efforts during the battles.

So, where does the tragedy of the samurai manifest in the film?

Firstly, it is in their sacrifice for war, especially for a lower class like the peasants, and the bitter realization that even after their victory, the peasants celebrate. At the same time, the samurai mourn their fallen comrades.

Secondly, the unique status of the samurai as warriors for hire leaves them without a proper home. The end of the war means unemployment for them, as depicted in the film's conclusion, where Kambei laments their tragic existence—victory for the peasants and loss for the samurai, with only three surviving out of the original seven.

Thirdly, in the innocent love between Katsushiro and Shino, the disdain from Shino's father (a peasant) towards the samurai after they help protect their food supply reveals the lack of gratitude or hero worship towards the samurai class. This leaves Katsushiro, the young and delicate samurai, puzzled.

Through this film, Akira Kurosawa presents a profound metaphor: samurai are doomed to a path of self-destruction due to their unique existence. They survive in a suicidal manner, only to return to the fate of suicide in the end. Behind the film's theme of "aiding others" lies the more prominent themes of "failure" and "suicide," representing the outcome of samurai in their real-world actions.