This Unknown Film Is Why Star Wars, LOTR, Avengers, Naruto, Mad Max and Every Action Blockbuster Story Feels the Same!

A 70 year old b&w Japanese film is the BLUEPRINT that owns the narrative of ALL YOUR FAVOURITE ACTION FRANCHISE !?
All those 207 days worth of cinema consumption lines up to this one MAGNUM OPUS film that has 207 mins of runtime but decades worth of influence!

Influence so powerful that even this week’s release of PREDATOR movie has listed it in its influence for making their film !

Steven Spielberg, Andrei Tarkovsky, Martin Scorsese, Denis Villeneuve, Ingrid Bergman, Sergio Leone

all these masters have collectively called this one of their favourite films and credited it as the one that has had a major influence on their filmmaking.

From Star Wars (admittedly by George Lucas) to the shonen anime genre as a whole.

From LoTR and Mad Max Fury Road, in their action sequences built into the screenplay structure, to Clint Eastwood’s character having no name.

i have felt its presence in each and every one of these narratives

Be it Django unchained ,John wick , the matrix or the entire western genre

ALL OF THESE ECHO of THIS ONE FILM'S DNA

This isn't homage ;it’s the origin.
The film that wrote the rules before rules existed

One film. One story. Infinite legacies

*SEVEN SAMURAI*


The original sin of action blockbuster cinema began with seven men on a quest, katanas in their hands, and an aim to safeguard a hamlet in exchange for just a bowl of rice!? ,thats equivalent to nothing .These Men are driven solely by honour and pride.They might seem ruthless but beneath their nihilistic approach lies the kind of person who would lay down their lives for a noble cause .

  • Seven of them, each carrying a distinct archetype and specific narrative weight,
  • with one acting as a misfit ,ignorant, yet carrying the persona of the protagonist The protagonist showcased as the loveable rogue, The Vagabond Archetype .(Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?)

(Han Solo’s swagger, Tony Stark’s irreverence, Jack Sparrow’s chaos).

this movie Created the DNA of every hero’s journey :As Mifune himself described the character: “He's not a real samurai, but he has the heart of one. That makes him more dangerous than any sword.”

  • Leading them is a reluctant mentor ;a veteran who accepts the job of assembling and fitting the chosen ones (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Gandalf, Professor X?)

And the structure where they are

  • Gathering heroes from different worlds ✓
  • Each has distinct personality/skill ✓
  • Initial conflict within team ✓
  • Training/bonding sequence ✓
  • Three-wave final battle ✓
  • Victory with sacrifice ✓

The most brilliant trope that makes it not just a commercial entertainer but something that makes it have a deeper philosophical framework

the part which I personally adore the most and have realised how we all fall for this narrative structure every time in every other genre and every kind of juxtaposition presentation of this very tale ,that is :

the fundamental question that every subsequent hero's journey has attempted to answer: What makes someone choose to fight for others when there's no reward? This moral foundation elevates it above its technical innovations.This is the emotional architecture of the epic genre as a whole (now you know where the root lies )

This formula doesn't just build an arc but it gets us involved , by the time we reach the final battle , we feel like our own life is at stake & we ought to fight alongside these fantastic weirdos

This is the magnificent mathematics : the formula that conquered Hollywood and the flames that still are ignited and shown as the light for every time a magnum opus is invented!


The entire structural formula. The DNA. He who wrote the source code for the modern blockbuster


The man himself who created the world’s first action epic adventure and shot it on film:


Akira Kurosawa.

The master filmmakers whose films have not just influenced generations of filmmakers but has stood the test of time and till date stands as the epitome of cinematic brilliance and devotion to this art form

His contribution on an artistic level , technical excellence that set standards for modern cinema, narrative styles like the introduction or creation of roshomon effect , the use of blocking that is till date the reference point for every filmmaker . i believe you cannot study films or call yourself a true cinephile without watching AKIRA KUROSAWA.

This man and his creation is only thing you need to study to turn into a master filmmaker

He is a visual storyteller with technical skills and methods that transcends excellence through time ,

director who has painter’s eyes and philosophers soul

He mirrors humanity in his canvas.

And I for most adore him for that , I believe , the one thing cinema stands tall is visually presenting themes that cannot be presented verbally or iterated in texts , it needs to felt and observed through our naked eyes

He does this so brilliantly

And his masterpiece seven samurai is the only film you need to watch to realise that your favourite franchise may not be entirely original but instead, a heavily influenced reinterpretation of this legendary movie.

MAKING OF THE MAGNUM OPUS

THE GENESIS OF GREATNESS:

The post world war era , everything in ruins grappled with national resurrection as their motto ,we see people trying to pick themselves up and live again in Japan , while Kurosawa who has already left a mark with his brilliant films internationally is now forging the metal to create a weapon that the world of cinema is going to weaponise for their Big Bang blockbusters

The genesis of the cinematic weapon that almost bankrupted the production house with a budget so high that it turned into a production hell ,it was the most expensive film made in Japan at that time

THE SET UP:

The village was built from scratch with the sole purpose to burn it down in the end

A 207 mins runtime taking over a year to shoot the film in harsh circumstances , seems like he didn’t just shoot but orchestrated weather , terrain ,steel & emotions like symphony

With everything at stake , Kurosawa ended up creating this masterpiece that still lives through cinema ,we see it every year in one or other form…

TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS THAT BECAME LAW

THE STRUCTURAL FORGING :

ACT I: The Gathering

ACT II: The Preparation
ACT III: The Battle

The Blueprint It Created

Team-assembly structure

The hero-outsider arc

Protect-the-village formula

The emotional DNA of modern storytelling

Action at an immense scale in its third act carrying high weightage with epic showdown

Character sacrifices

Victory with cost

moral ambiguity to the win

A CINEMATIC ARCHITECTURE :

From the three act structure of to the use of emotional architecture where the runtime is an investment , a ticket to feel part of something epic ,his use of philosophical framework of having Morales to the characters who rather are noticeably nonchalant but now showcase care in their own style, this where you start realise how things now seem to be visible in every other film , but what makes it shine through the similarities is the distinctive nature that multi perspective storyline carries , it doesn't necessarily take the conventional route but rather chooses to build something larger and for wider and multifold layers to understand the situation from various grounds .

you can notice this in Christopher Nolan's masterful pieces like INCEPTION AND DUNKIRK.

FROM THE USE OF MONTAGES IN SEGMENTS AND STRONG VISUALS ;WITH ENGAGINGLY STRONG STORYTELLING THAT TRANSCENDS THE LANGUAGE BARRIER AS IT NARRATES THE EPIC VISUALLY ,I PERSONALLY CONSIDERED THIS FILM TO RESONATE WITH ME AS THE PIONEER IN FILMMAKING AND MY EFFORTS IN LEARNING EVERYTHING ABOUT CINEMA . IT HAS ITS OWN PHILOSOPHY , ITS OWN MORALES AND ETHICS AS IT KEEPS FLOWING SMOOTHLY ,A FILM THATS 7 DECADES OLD IS NOW MY NEW FAVOURITE FOR ALL OBVIOUS REASON !

TECHNICAL MARVEL

THE ROADMAP TO CAMERA SET UP :
He deployed up to five cameras simultaneously with telephoto lenses, creating what we now call “coverage.” Kurosawa pioneered this setup, setting the standards that are still followed in nearly every action film today

SEVEN SAMURAI WAS THE FIRST TIME ANYONE OR ANY FILMMAKER HAD EVER DONE THIS

i couldn't believe the weightage this carries , we literally wouldnt' have the visuals , the entire SCALE as we call it , The magnitude at which we see action genre today would have seize to exists without this brilliant usecase that became a thing right after this movie !
We often hear Quentin speaking about how he takes influence from Sergio Leone for his epic close up , what he doesn’t realise is that this was inherited from Kurosawa and his geniuses in seven samurai ,Even Christopher Nolan's IMAX compositions follow Kurosawa's spatial mathematics.Every action sequence from The Matrix to Mad Max Fury Road , every spaghetti western to marvel hero poses can trace its lineage back to Kurosawa’s lens choices

THE USE OF RAIN & NATURE THAT REFLECTS EMOTIONS :

Visually , the biggest contribution noticeable is the use of rain in the fight sequence , it reflects much more than an atmosphere , it has emotions , a sequences that looks like its speaking to us, its saying

"this is the final showdown ,you either win here or die and be forgotten

the sequences in rain are strong with its visuals that you start getting flashes of every other film you have seen this artistic statement transcend , it has the powerful to show downfall as well the change in the characters arc to positive

Akira kurosawa believes in the surreal essence that nature tends to carry ,how NATURE is very language of the world ,thats why seven samurai stands as an epitome of sequences that visually stand chaotic but when you experience this on the scale that he has capture ,you to find yourself in a state of ecstasy ,its euphoric ! an experience like nothing else

The rain becomes the battlefield , earth has now turned into mud , even If you shed tears or blood , its not going to be visible , the rain washes away any moment of hesitation ,Here, you can only act, be brave, and live in the moment.

“It’s so profoundly impactful, I get chills even while writing this.”

From Blade Runner to Arrival, from The Matrix Revolutions’ climax to Batman v Superman’s rooftop showdown, and Avengers: Endgame’s portals sequence; all of it comes from Kurosawa’s playbook, called Seven Samurai

Blocking and Composition:

His use of blocking remains undefeated to this day.
He didn’t just place characters ,he choreographed them, turning every frame into a living painting , a damn canvas that speaks from each of its corner , every frame as its compositions for every character involved

Seven Samurai is often studied alongside kurosawa's other masterpiece high and low for its blocking techniques

lately even the director RYAN COOGLER in his criterion collection visit made sure to acknowledge and choose seven samurai particularly for its BLOCKING TECHNIQUES

Movement Editing:

Kurosawa was known to edit at night and shoot in the morning.
He pioneered the technique of editing movement with movement , I have noticed how visually characters would flow through space in sequences that felt organic, rhythmic, and alive.

Even Zack Snyder’s signature slow-motion action in 300 and Watchmen descends from Kurosawa’s time-manipulation techniques.

Sound and Scale:

His films featured excellent ,rooted and grounded sound design, amplifying emotional weight without overindulgence. this has heavily influenced the use of music in STAR WARS FRANCHISE

Epic scale

(the film is widely considered to have introduced it on the commercial level):

The 360-degree battle coverage, the use of natural elements as obstacles, the rhythm of violence punctuated by stillness, I call this the grammar for action cinema .

First film to use multiple cameras for action (now standard)

Pioneered telephoto lens cinematography (now everywhere)

Invented the "geography of action" (spatial coherence in fights)

THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THIS FILM IS THE TRUE SIGN OF CINEMA AT ITS FINEST , I BELIEVE IN YEARS TO COME IT WILL STAY AS THE INITIAL BLUEPRINTS FOR ALL OF US CINEPHILES TO LOOK UPTO IT INCASE WE NEED ASSISTANCE ON FINDING PERFECTION .

INFLUENCE

Echoes Across Galaxies

A cinematic supernova that reshaped everything.

Filmmakers on Kurosawa:

THE MASTERS WHO ADORED THE MOVIE

George Lucas: "Kurosawa was the pictorial Shakespeare of our time."

Steven Spielberg:
"The greatest action sequence ever filmed."
"The greatest masterpiece of all time. Seven Samurai is the most complete film I've ever seen."

Martin Scorsese: "Kurosawa was like a painter, but instead of a canvas, he had the entire world."

Guillermo del Toro: "Kurosawa didn't just influence cinema ,he created its language. Every frame of Seven Samurai is a sentence in a grammar we're still learning to speak."

Andrei Tarkovsky: Cited Kurosawa as one of his favorite filmmakers and listed Seven Samurai among his top ten favourite films.

Ingmar Bergman: Revered Kurosawa as a peer, often citing his precision and emotional power.

there are many more like sergio leone , Quentin Tarantino , Wachwowskis , James gunn , Ryan coogler ,etc

Films Influenced by Seven Samurai:

Samurai 7 (2004)

X-Men Franchise (2000–2024)heavily in my opinion

Justice League (2017 / Zack Snyder's 2021 cut)he called it the seven samurai of justice league

The Fast & the Furious Franchise (2001–2025)

Inception (2010) seven specialists/dream team blueprint

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)direct and highly influential remake

John Wick Franchise (2014–2023)

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) including the older films when it comes to adapting the technical front of the film

The Matrix Trilogy (1999–2003)

KUNG FU PANDA (2008)trained assassins with one misfit protagonist saving village against evil (literally seven samurai )

300 (2006) slo motion sequences as a powerful narrative for characters strength and emotional depiction

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Misfits become family through shared purpose

The Mandalorian (2019) Directly references Seven Samurai in its village-protection storyline

Predator (2025) Upcoming film with thematic echoes

The Magnificent Seven (1960)direct remake

The Dirty Dozen (1967)

The Avengers (2012) evidently

Django Unchained (2012)highly stylised and camera work inspiration

Rebel Moon (2023) he called it less inspired by star wars but more of an r rated take on seven samurai

A Bug's Life (1998)an animated adaption

Star Wars (1977)george lucas says star wars wont exists without seven samurai and yet another kurosawa movie


And possibly every other blockbuster that releases annually

i believe after reading these ,you must have had a sense of understanding how this movie is basically a roadmap , i would love for you all to find me more films that takes complete inspiration from this legendary film made by legendary people , as a cinephile ,it excites me , ignites my spirite to learn more about films , various perspectives and wonderful stories


Anime :

Naruto :

A village(konoha) under threat leads to the formation of Shinobi with a protagonist who’s a comical misfit .a loud and messy outcast often ignorant ,wronged , disowned and orphaned at a very young age but has his own character arc with a potential for greatness and the chosen one of the prophecy by an old sage turning into a legend who showcase sheer spirit in actions and is driven by the desire to protect and proof themselves

The recurring use of rain as an emotion and narrative motif

The formation of tactical teams and the use of death as a purpose and not just for shock value

I adore the show for its emphasis on strategy over strength and how it condones war even when its completely set into a battlefield

Its definitely the emotional and thematic engine that stems from seven samurai!

Attack on titan

A walled city to protect from siege is literally from seven samurai ,Hajime Isayama has cited Kurosawa as a structural influence on how he paced and composed his battle sequences

Bleach

The soul society is a mirror to class system and outsiders chaos narrative , the samurai moves and conflicts are often having references of seven samurai

One piece , my hero academia , Vinland saga also have taken from this masterpiece

In Games and Interactive Media

  • Ghost of Tsushima
  • Final Fantasy VII
  • Red Dead Redemption


Personal trivia :

This film has ruined by faith in originality , once you see this masterpiece ,it has turned into air ,its everywhere , and a necessity , even the very screenplay I formulated few months before watching this epic turned out to derive from the very blueprint , I am awestruck that now I see one film and many remakes of the narrative.

Conclusive thought

Seven Samurai undoubted stands as one of the greatest masterpieces of all time

Its is THE MOST INFLUENTIAL , THE ONE TRUE ORIGINAL MAGNUM OPUS

It may have ridden off into legends for only us cinephiles have kept its influence religiously alive and known

I call this movie

The CINEMATIC BIG BANG

Its an immortal tale thats forged in fire

Whenever heroes assemble , rain falls on a battlefield , walls are built to protect communities , misfits turn legends , this film shall be remembered , it stays alive as the soul
One film. One story. Infinite legacies

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