It tells the story of a desperate village which hires seven samurai to protect it from marauding barbarians. It is one of only a few films which manage to perfectly blend so many different traits ranging from philosophy and action to emotion and entertaiment.

Anyone who has an interest in films, should be very interested in this. It doesn't need special effects, spectacular set pieces or an explosive soundtrack to make it work. This is the only movie I consider to be a real work of art and I am extremely happy to have it in my collection.

Vital Statistics

As I've already pointed out, this is movie which rests solely on it's story and that is why it stands up so well when compared to todays modern classics. There is no way anyone buying this movie would expect a pin sharp widescreen transfer and a perfect surround track - if that's all you want then look elsewhere.

What we have here is a full screen transfer which has been remastered for the Criterion Laserdisc version. It is, of course, black and white and suffers from a fairly unsteady display. That said for a movie approaching its half century it is in its remarkable shape and there's no way you could want more from it.

Soundwise we have the original mono Japanese soundtrack - it does a wonderful job of drawing you in. Thankfully, we also have optional English subtitles so you can actually understand what is going on.

In terms of Extras, we have the original US Theatrical trailer and an audio commentary by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck. The trailer doesn't boast as good a picture as the main film, but it is an interesting addition. The commentary track - whilst not the most interesting - offers an excellent insight into the film on a far deeper level that you could hope to grasp even after many repeat viewings.

For a Criterion disc, this isn't a lot. But that said, its probably all that is available and that is fine by me! The sheer quality of all Criterion discs far outweighs the limited number of Extras available here.

Overall

An outstanding film which will never look or sound any better than it does here. If you have even the slightest interest in movies then you should be out placing your order now - if you're not a film fan then why the hell do you own a DVD player!!!

This disc is a must for all DVD owners and it's as fresh today as it would have been when it was released in 1954. What more could you want? This is the definitive version of the definitive Japanese film. Get it now!

Colin Polonowski