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Films

Seven Samurai

See a cinematic classic from a post-Hegelian perspective. Danny O’Donnell reviews Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai.

Akira Kurosawa’s rip-roaring action epic Seven Samurai (1954) also happens to be a goldmine of philosophical themes [and the template for the later The Magnificent Seven – Ed]. Apart from being a hugely entertaining martial arts extravaganza, its characters and plot introduce us to some major ideas.

The film follows the plight of a village of peasant farmers forced to find samurai willing to help them fight a group of ruthless bandits intent on stealing their crops and terrorising their families. It’s set in Edo-era Japan, a time of great change. Samurai find themselves unemployed as civil wars end with the absolute reign of the Shogun.

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