Screenwriter Confesses: I Could Never Love a Woman Who Didn’t Love ‘The Seven Samurai’
by Robert J. AvrechYours truly first laid eyes on my wife, Karen, when we were both nine-years-old, students in Yeshiva of Flatbush elementary school. Thus began a love affair that defined and continues to define my existence.
The time has come to introduce Karen to Akira Kurosawa. The time has come to introduce Karen to the single most important movie in my life, the film that shaped my consciousness, the film that turned me from a directionless yeshiva student into a rabid film fanatic, a screenwriter.
Yes, The Seven Samurai is playing at The Thalia, New York’s’ classic movie theater on Broadway between 94th and 95th Streets. I’ve invited Karen to see it with me. Keep in mind, this is 1976, ancient days. There are no videos, no DVD’s, no personal computers, and hard to imagine, no internet. To see a classic film, you must rush to Manhattan, to one of the revival houses, and hope that the print they screen is half-way decent. And with Japanese films, the biggest problem is the subtitles. Frequently, they are illegible.
As we stand on line to purchase tickets, Karen quizzes me about the film.
“What’s it about?”
“Courage and loyalty in 16th century Japan.”
“Does it have a… plot?”
“Oh, yes, several very strong plots running parallel to one another. Don’t worry, it’s a foreign film, but you’ll find that all the emotions are completely familiar.”
Karen looks a bit skeptical. By now she knows me well enough to recognize that my take on reality is not all that real.
“How long is it?”
“We’re incredibly lucky, Karen,” I enthuse, “This doesn’t happen very often but we’re actually getting to see the original three-hour version! Isn’t that great!?”
Karen smiles, but her smile is strained.
I’m not worried. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that once the film gets going she’ll be caught up in the magnificent imagery, in the classic story-telling, in the heroic, tragic characters. Once Karen imbibes this film, our relationship will be sealed.
The house lights dim and chills run up and down my spine as the opening shots of The Seven Samurai thunder across the screen. Karen is at full attention, her spine is rigid, she sits straight as a pilaster, like a proud Japanese princess.
A half-hour into the film Karen is:
Oh
My
Gosh
idly toying with her split ends. I am incredulous, in shock, awash in a psychic pain that I never knew existed. How is this possible?
Slumped in her seat, Karen is the portrait of a a bored student. My heart is actually pattering in my chest at twice its normal rate. I am twenty-five years old and I’m pretty sure that I’m having a massive heart attack.
A few years ago, I told a friend that I could never love a woman who didn’t love The Seven Samurai. Not only did I say it, but I believed it.
- Still from Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai, ‘54. Note the, uh, Star of David.
“You’ll have to excuse me,” says Karen, “I need to take a break.”
“There’s a break at the hour-and-a-half point,” I lamely point out.
“I need it now,” Karen says quite evenly with no hint of rancor.
Karen exits to the lobby.
I feel like committing hara-kiri.
In the dark, I gaze at my beloved and outnumbered Samurai warriors; even unto death they maintain their orthodox code of honor. There is something very Jewish about these men and their stubborn refusal to give up their way of life. This film has changed my life, made of me a screenwriter, a writer with a vision.
What to do?
The images no longer cohere for now I see Karen, nine-years old, on the day she first transferred from Yeshiva Ohel Moshe to Yeshiva Flatbush, the day I, also nine-years old, fell in love with her; now I see her leaning against the chain link fence during recess, pressing her linen handkerchief against unnaturally pale lips; there she is, years later, when we meet in Summer camp and exchange a few awkward sentences; and again I spot her at a high school basketball game. Karen has no idea how I feel. What am I saying? She has no idea that I even exist.
This life of mine can easily slip into utter catastrophe.
Karen’s image splits and flies away; there she is, up on the screen in full close-up. I love her, have always loved her. And this moment, this film, this decision that I’m about to make will define the balance of my life.
The Samurai speak of Bushido, the soul of the warrior, the perpetual struggle to maintain honor and dignity, the fight to recognize your true inner-self. I catch a glimpse of my Bushido. It’s in danger of being crushed… by yours truly.
- Still from The Seven Samurai
I bolt from my seat and follow Karen into the lobby. Sitting on a bench, she looks sad.
“I know how much this movie means to you,” says Karen.
“It doesn’t matter,” I respond.
And it doesn’t.
In a moment of perfect clarity I have gone from being a boy to a man.
Morally, I have matured, been forced by this honest and most unpretentious of women, to reorder my priorities.
I took another young lady to see The Seven Samurai and she told me that she adored it. “It’s fantastic,” she gushed. But in the darkness I felt her boredom, sensed her incredible yearning for the film to end. She was just saying what she knew I wanted to hear.
Karen cannot lie. Karen is constitutionally unable to say that she admires something when she just plain doesn’t like it.
To this day, when I slip the DVD of The Seven Samurai into the player, Karen beats a hasty retreat.
This night, this moment, I understand that admiring or despising The Seven Samurai—any movie—has nothing to do with the guts of a relationship. If you look closely, it’s just superficial aesthetics.
Admiring or disliking a movie or a book or painting or a song or whatever—is not a reliable indicator of the strength of a relationship.
Love—real love and lasting relationships—are built on shared values.
Karen knows how important this movie is to me. But because this film is so central to my life she cannot bring herself to pretend that she likes it. In fact, the way I feel about The Sound of Music is how she feels about The Seven Samurai.
I bid goodbye to The Seven Samurai.
We do not stay for the rest of the film.
We exit the theater.
“You wanna know how it ends?”
Karen smiles. “Not really.”
Walking along Broadway, Karen searches my face for some indication of what I’m feeling, some hint of what my reaction is to her reaction.
As we walk away from the movie theater, I discover that I feel lighter, unburdened, and gee-willikers, I’m grinning hugely. I smile because at long last I’m able to bid goodbye to my youth. Karen’s perfect scrupulousness, her Female/Jewish/Samurai personae has, as I have long suspected, compelled me to become not just a man—but a better man.
- The Seven Samurai, the final battle.
Head on over to my mini-series in Seraphic Secret to learn How I Married Karen.
Copyright © Robert J. Avrech
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113 Comments
"Hey hon, come watch this movie with me."
"It's not that Seven Samurai thing again, is it?"
"Nah, this is a western. Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Chuck Bronson. You'll LOVE it."
But she really does love the movie.
The movie has obviously made a large impact on you and your feelings about honor, commitment, responsibility. She cannot love you without loving the movie. Just let her love the movie through loving you.
(Greatest movie EVAH, btw)
Must be a guy thing. I went to school in Japan and all I heard about was "The Seven Samurai." From teachers, from students…. Bored me to tears.
Dear Mr. A, though I have never worked in the film industry (a bit in local theatre and television) I too thought I could never love anyone who was not enraptured with the cinema and particular jewels. Well, two beautiful boys and 14 years later, he still exits the room when the boys and I fire-up the DVD player. But he is a great dad and husband, and I remember reacting in a similiar fashion years ago.
Great story.
I've long since stopped trying to talk my wife into watching movies I know she won't like. If only I could get her to reciprocate.
And no subtitles!
Oh man, story of my life. +1.
One of my all time favorites, I watch a little bit of it every time it is on AMC. Unfortunately, I discovered it about the time I started a family and even though I have it on DVD, I've only been able to watch the whole thing a couple times.
I love Kurosawa. Sanjuro and Yojimbo were great, as well. I can't think of many actors more iconic than Toshiro Mifune.
Over the years I've shared things that were very important to me with the women in my life. Often it backfires, it takes what was once special and "mine" and makes it "ours" … this really sucks if the relationship ends (for example, I can no longer listen to old David Bowie albums without thinking of a certain crazy ex-girlfriend … so now Bowie is lost to me).
Sure its different with your "soul mate". But even then its nice to keep a few things for yourself.
To this day I can't watch any of the other movies that took the story and retold it without thinking of the Seven Samurai, even the Magnificent Seven was in my eyes pale compared to the original. I found one girl who shared my love of this movie and others but she didn't want to stay in the same state I was so I let her go. In the past 10 years I have yet to meet another.
True story: 1974, one of my first dates with the woman who I would end up marrying. Yanked her away from studying for a Chemistry test to go see "one of the best movies ever – you'll have time to study afterwards".
As we settle into our auditoreum seats, the film MC comes out and says "Let's take a vote – intermission at an hour and a half or do we go through non-stop?" (non-stop wins). My date turns to me and says a version of "WTF, how long is this thing?" Fortunately, she accepted its greatness, but to this day the first questions she asks me whenever I suggest a movie is "How long is it?"
My wife enjoyed "The Seven Samurai", but not as much as I did. (Toshiro Mifune was BRILLIANT!)
It may be a "guy thing" to some degree, after all, I believe as men we have an intrinsic attraction to concepts such as loyalty, honor, perseverance, and strength… that is, until a lifetime of liberal browbeating has run the manliness out of us.
Early on in our relationship, my husband and I discovered we shared a common bond in our mutual dislike of "The Music Man". I may never watch "Dances with Wolves" with him, and he may never watch "West Side Story" with me, but we will always never watch "The Music Man" together.
(Ron Howard singing "Gary, Indiana": kill me now.)
"In a moment of perfect clarity I have gone from being a boy to a man."
I was thinking that line a half a second before I read it. Sweet story sir.
"Titanic"
Kate Winslet posing…hmmmm. Otherwise, I go fix something. I keep "special projects" on standby just for this contingency…
If I want to clear the room…"The Longest Day…"
Also +1 for you, Jake.
Um… "The Seven Samurai" is why G_d inspired someone to invent the motion picture.
I did not care for it at all. Tried several times but it just didn't take.
."The Longest Day" – one of my all-time favorites. "Hold until relieved"…
So what was the movie title?
Hard to blieve that an industry could create both the Seven Samarai and Crank 2.
Many times we don't recognize those life changing decisions (or events) in our lives until years later, if ever.
What makes this story so powerful is that you recognized your metamorphosis at the time
Nice story…
Not really the same industry though, one is American, the other is Japanese. That's like comparing comic books to manga, same medium, different storytelling styles and values.
I really enjoyed reading this. That you were able to include the b/w still with the, uh, Star of David only added to the piece. Wonderful post. Thanks Robert!
Great movie. . . one of my favorite war movies! That's the kind of movie they couldn't make today because they just don't have enough stars with the gravitas to play all of the roles.
Agreed. Too many young actors today have the depth of a water bucket.
Sometimes so many "Big" names in one movie can be the kiss of death, but the entire cast in TLD brought their best to the picture.
Wait for it, wait for it…it's…SAMURAI 7, the classic tale retold in a futuristic ANIME setting! Sit in awe as giant mecha engage with mystic samurai flying through the air with sword that can slice through titanium, and massive airships with giant laser guns! XD
Actually, it was pretty good, and I don't even like anime all that much. Just goes to show how good the story is if you don't screw around with it too much.
Toshiro Mifune was one of the most commanding, virile and intelligent performers cnema has ever produced. The screen crackles when he is on it. My ex-wife and I had our problems but she had great taste in films and was a huge fan of Kurosawa and Mr. Mifune. I remember a terriffic evening evening we once had drinking Glenfiddich pure malt and watching both the The Seven Samurai and Throne of Blood. I got her into John Ford and the Ealing comedies and she got me into Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, the Freed Unit (and also Jane Austen.) It's a shame that personal relationships can't be totally based on a shared love of movies.
I agree. In terms of a movie where too many big names hurt the movie, I see that in "A Bridge Too Far."
The story itself is interesting and it's an ok film, but they try to give each big name actor an "actor's scene". But this clogs the film up. Instead of having a bunch of good actors moving through the plot, the plot seems to stop to allow each actor to show off. This ruins the film's pacing. Moreover, many of these scenes are not-credible, not-realistic, or are ironic in nature (which is not consistent with the way they should be feeling at the time). Thus, they keep pulling the viewer out of the movie.
Not that she's not into movies, period — it's just that she's a horror junkie. I have her to thank for introducing me to Dario Argento, Mario Bava and John Carpenter.
I can't get her to sit down in front of Kurosawa or Leone, though — although I might have a few more chances with Leone, since Argento worked on the screenplay for Once Upon A Time In The West.
"In a moment of perfect clarity I have gone from being a boy to a man." How I wish this happened to more young men. Good for you, and I know that you have never regretted your painful growth.
Plus it helped that about half of the preproduction people had worked on Kurosawa projects before. There is no chance that any Kurosawa adaptation coming out of Japan could be anything less than reverent.
Of course, Mr. Avrech loves his wife not because she likes or does not like "The Seven Samurai," but because she *embodies* the ideals presented in The Seven Samurai — he hints it in how admirable he finds her honesty and integrity in refusing to pretend she likes it when she does not, in being unafraid to hold to her own principles and in the respect and trust she shows in him by her honesty. Those are traits that would do a samurai proud.
It's also a great story of hope for male longevity and relevance. These discarded heroes of the past become useful and meaningful in ways they hadn't anticipated. The journey we think is over when we turn 40, 60, 80 continues.
Having been gently coerced into watching The Reader and The Day the Earth Stood Still on consecutive evenings, I can only say, I wish I'd pulled a Karen.
She should have at least waited until the part were Kyuzo started taking people out.
Oh, the Thalia, with its sticky floors and oddly sloping backwards floor…I grew up 3 blocks away and was 9 at the time of your story. That and the Regency further down Broadway were the premiere revival houses. When I went back a few years ago I was thrilled that the Thalia was still there, vastly gentrified. A lovely piece. Maybe you could try showing her "Battle Beyond the Stars?"
And in the midst of the Mifune love, may I recommend one of his last performances (an extended cameo, really) in a really lovely, often overlooked film, "Picture Bride" from 1995, about a Japanese woman who comes to Hawaii in an arranged marriage to work in the sugar cane fields in the early 20th century. You'll laugh! You'll cry! You'll cry some more, but this time it'll be cathartic!
I love your love for Karen. It reminds me of my husband's love for me. Thanks for being a real man and seeing and treasuring her value above your boyhood fantasies. Real men totally rock!
It can't just be a guy thing, because I'm female.
The first time I saw this movie, it was just me and the projectionist (remember "film"?) 15 years later, when I finally introduced it to my husband, he said, "Well, it's okay, but it isn't Magnificent Seven."
He has many excellent redeeming qualities.
This was the first Kurosawa movie I ever saw — and it is still my favorite of all his films, along with Rashomon, Yojimbo, Sanjuro and Throne of Blood. It was also the movie that made me a Toshiro Mifune fan and made me appreciate Japanese cinema and the movies and actors that followed, whether it was Shintaro Katsu's brilliant Zatoichi or Tomisaburo Wakayama in the Lone Wolf and Cub series. While I have seen other movies that have made the samurai legend less admirable, I think that Seven Samurai reveals what a true samurai should be, either in legend or in reality, which is why it and very few others show me the true heroic worth of a man. Talk about they don't make them like THIS anymore. So as a woman, I'd be tickled pink if a man said he could love me if I loved The Seven Samurai. I'd probably add "Tell me you love 'Master and Commander' and 'Gladiator' and we've got a deal!" (By the way, have any of you seen the anime "futuristic" version of The Seven Samurai 7'?)
Thomas L — you have my sympathies. I'm a woman and I would not force anyone — including myself — to suffer The Reader! Reading the analysis on Big Hollywood has been enough to send me running, screaming in the opposite direction. I hope you survive. Perhaps if you see The Day the Earth Stood Still first, you'll be so comatose you won't know what's up with The Reader anyway! Best of luck!
Oh my…I just mentioned Samurai 7 in my own post before I realized YOU had mentioned it too. I'm not a big fan of anime either, but it was recommended to me by a friend who DOES enjoy anime and is also a fan of Japanese cinema. I wasn't sorry I sat through the entire series. And you are so right. They kept the main story intact and went from there, even with the robots and spaceships. I didn't see it as an aberration of the original, but a fine salute.
Right there with you. My first and my favorite (Yojimbo is a close second). Do not bother with the anime, It can be found acceptable (when you allready know the story). However it is an odd match of computer generated & hand drawn animation. It certainly does not do it justice. Love almost all the movies you mentioned, will have to check out Sanjuro & Rashomon. Never thought I would actually see an article that relied upon the Seven Samurai. Fandamntastic
My wife tries to watch this film, but I think it *is* a guy thing. You want true love? She bought me the DVD for my birthday! She bravely tried to watch it with me, but Morpheus won that night…. She does enjoy The Magnificent Seven, a good film, but with nowhere near the depth of Kurosawa's masterpiece.
I don't even try to get her to watch Ran, Yojimbo, Kagemusha… sigh.
I was on a date with a girl once, and we started to talk about movies. I mentioned Seven Samurai as possibly my favorite film ever. She told me that she never heard of it. That's cool, when I told her about the film but she laughed because it was "one of those films you had to read."
Cute girl, but it wasn't going to work.
Loved the story! My husband and I have an agreement: I don't ask him to watch _Pride and Prejudice_ (or any movie based on any Jane Austen novel–or pretty much anything that screams "chick flick"), and he doesn't ask me to watch his special forces training vids. On another note, he is the one who got me hooked on Dr. Who and Stargate SG-1. He still knows better than to go shopping with me, though. I don't do it often, but when I spend over an hour "looking" and then walk out with nothing, he looks as though he's going to be sick.
I saw the movie on TV as a teen and went out immediately to buy the DVD. I've still never gotten anyone to watch it with me. I still gush and tear-up through the end.
+2!
Doctor Who and Stargate SG-1. . . mega +1's!!! Great shows.
this guy would have more luck finding a man to love if this is his criteria
Great story, nice adjustment on the fly, and it seems to illustrate something I've learned over the years – the reality of a situation is often far different than we imagined it would be.
Not the first time it was set in the future. Roger Corman had his B-movie epic based on it, "Battle Beyond the Stars". XD Featuring a young JAMES CAMERON as the special effects supervisor no less!
http://www.badmovies.org/movies/battlebeyond/
Hey Mr. A,
My visits to Big Hollywood are much less frequent and much briefer than they used to be,
but I come back now & then, hoping to find another article written by you.
So today I've stumbled upon your 'How I Married Karen' Archives. Great stuff!
I've read only a couple of chapters so far, but I 'bookmarked' it ,
and I look forward to returning to it for more of the rewarding reading I just did.
At the moment, I can't think of a better verbal salute than 'You rock.'
[There's gotta be an older expression (more appropriate to a man my age) which is just as fitting... ?]
I also wanna tell you 'Rock on.' Damn, gotta get me a slang thesaurus or something.
PS: so I finally saw a pic of Karen. What a beauty!
Karen likes the music from Magnificent Seven.
That is brilliant, and I hope accurate. I'm gonna let Karen know that she really does love Seven Samurai. Should be interesting. Not only the greatest movie ever, but a thorough course in how to fight terrorism.
Not a chick flick. Sigh. But get this, my favorite writer is Jane Austen. Go figure.
Aesthetics are deeply unimportant. At least to us. But you know, Karen reads all my scripts and tells me exactly what's wrong with them:
Goes something like this:
"Another gun fight? Bo-ring."
Karen and I have found common ground with—don't hate me—America's Next Top Model..
Any show which features very thin, very crazy women is okay by me.
I'm not a big fan of foreign films. I have a thing for Japanese and Chinese movies, that's about it. I'd rather get waterboarded than watch a French or Italian film. 7 Samurai is a perfect movie and I watch it a few times a year to recharge my creative batteries.
Private joys are important. Karen reads impenetrable articles on psychology while I watch silent films on TCM. We are endlessly happy.
Hope you find a lady in your own state. City. Zip code. Long distance relationships are iffy at best.
Most movies these days are too long. Karen and I were DYING during Benjamin Button. We kept looking at each other and going: "Is it over yet?"
Karen is loyal, honorable etc. No, it's the yelling that drives her crazy. "Why are the men in Japanese movies always shrieking?" Karen shrieks.
Music Man. I screened ten minutes and then turned off the DVD. Appalling.
Thanks so much.
The best movie ever!
I'm amazed that I did the right thing and walked out of the movie.
When I was in Japan working on a script I met a few very earnest Japanese who told me that the Japanese nation are descended from the lost 10 Tribes of Israel.
Who knew?
I vaguely recall this movie, if only because every single critic I read called it "John-Boy in outer space." Had no idea it was so closely connected to The Seven Samurai though. Thanks! I might try to see if I can find Mr. Corman's movie on YouTube (or at least Instant Watch on Netflix).
I look forward to seeing it. Thanks for the tip.
Have not seen the anime. On the look-out.
I like the music from Magnificent 7, and the moment when McQueen shakes the shotgun shell by his ear to make sure it has enough buckshot. Otherwise… eh.
Cute reply from the girl. Have to remember that.
Thank you, thank you! It's so cool to find other women on here that love this movie because nope – it's not a "guy thing." (I've had men ask me about me watching some "chick flick" and I've nearly gone postal on them. Give me Seven Samurai anytime over some of this so-called romantic garbage being pumped out these days). Oh and by the way, my youngest sister is also a fan of The Seven Samurai, as well as Rashomon. And WE were the ones that introduced SAMURAI to her then boyfriend (later to become her husband and now proudly serving his nation in the Army). It's like a family thing!
Glad your hubby has other redeeming qualities, Alex! LOL
I actually love Jane Austen novels and watch all the overheated adaptations on PBS. Karen likes the costumes but get frustrated that no one says what they mean. I gently remind Karen that it's fiction.
Come on over, I'll watch it with you.
Oh yes, reality is, um, quite real.
No one has ever told me that I rock. I'm gonna tell my kids and they are going to laugh like crazy. Karen has always been stunning and smart and if it weren't for her I'd be G-d knows where, probably a bum on the streets.
Suzie1: That was GREAT! You will never watch "The Music Man" together! That's lovely. And while I enjoy West Side Story, I'd nearly rather be waterboarded than to watch Dances With Wolves again. But then, I consider Terms of Endearment as a true sample of torture. I have told family members that I won't be responsible for my actions if I am made to watch THAT ever again.
Somehow, I find it hard to believe that you would or could write a boring gunfight. Yet you respect her counsel, and I envy a writer who has that at home. My husband can find a redundancy and a typo though, which is better editing than my family ever gave me.
I miss SG-Atlantis, too. At least Dr. Who is still making new episodes (though few and far between this year), and I'm not sure what to make of the new guy (Matt Smith), though I'll give him a chance. Our TV is about to become antiquated and we're not planning to bother making it digital-ready, since we watch it so rarely anymore. We catch most of what we care to see on the internet.
I'd like to give The Seven Samurai a try, though honestly I hadn't ever heard of the movie before reading this article. Do I have to duck if I ask (being cheap) whether or not it's available on YouTube?
Wonder if your husband sees the irony of his comment!
Love "Picture Bride."
Hate "Battle Beyond the Stars."
Karen and I watch "America's Next Top Model" together. A true guilty pleasure. Oh, and "Millionaire Matchmaker", fab-u-lous.
"Samurai" is the classic Guy Film. My wife falls asleep when it's on; same as with my other Guy favorite, "Zulu".
I liked SG-Atlantis too. I'm not excited yet about Stargate Universe, but I figure I will be when it gets here. I don't know what to make of Smith yet either, but they've chosen well with the prior two. I'm just glad they didn't choose Robert Carlyle — he will always be Begbie from Trainspotting to me (coincidentally, he's in Stargate Universe).
I am a huge fan of Seven Samurai. In fact, I like all of Kurosawa's films. One word of caution, you can't expect Western film pacing from Kurosawa (his work is very deliberate in its pacing — very Japanese). Still, his ideas are incredibly innovative (both as a director and in terms of plot), and his actors are top notch. In fact, many of the techniques he came up with in 7 Sam (and others films) have become standard techniques in Hollywood today.
If you get the DVD (your local library might have it), listen to some of the commentary. The guy who does he has an incredible amount of knowledge about the film, Japan, and Kurosawa himself. I thought it was well worth the time.
Also, if you want a more modern (1960s), non-Samurai film from Kurosawa, I recommend "High and Low."
Oh my Gosh, Zulu, heaven. And what a brilliant score! Plus, Richard Burton's best performance—yup the VO.
Reading your post, I was immediately reminded of a line from "High Fidelity." (It's in the movie and also the book.) John Cusack's character is describing a date with a woman he's dating while rebounding from a breakup with his real girlfriend, Laura. (The "we" refers to his co-workers at the vintage record store who he also refers to as the "Musical Moron Twins.")
"We agreed that what really matters is what you like, not what you are like… Books, records, films – these things matter. Call me shallow but it's the f****in' truth, and by this measure I was having one of the best dates of my life."
I remember thinking at the time, gee, what an adolescent idiot.
Thanks, Robert, for explaining what it's like to be the mirror image of those guys.
I really liked Pride and Prejudice as well — the BBC version, not the remakes. And yes, that is indeed a frustrating movie.
7 Samurai is not available on You Tube. Great DVD from Criterion.
I have a real wekness for The Hidden Fortress. Adore the Princess in shorts.
The, ahem, love philosophy in High Fidelity is coin of the realm here in Hollywood. Which is why so many marriages and relationships are black holes.
"Zulu" Stanley Baker and Michael Caine: two great leads…And one of my favorite supporting actors: Nigel Green as the Color Sargent
I like that one too. My favorite though (and it surprises me) is Ikiru. If you'd asked me years ago, I would have said Seven Samuri. But over time, I've come to truly love Ikiru. There is just something about that film that brings out a range of emotions in me like few other movies can.
I love Zulu!! The score, the scenery, the drama. You have great taste in films!
Don't forget "Hidden Fortress." It's a pretty rock solid yarn, and you can see how it influenced Lucas and Star Wars, as he's often said. Mifune is kind of at his hottest in this to me, despite wearing an unfortunate samurai shorts-type garment that looks an awful lot like a diaper for much of the film. I think Throne of Blood might be my fave Kurosawa (the witch/demon creature is still pretty damn creepy, and so is "Lady Macbeth" with her kabuki face).
.
Sorry about the double posts, but it's the only way to make the first one visible.
For some reason, while I've been able to read the responses to my comments (via e-mail notification), I haven't been able to access them on this website, so I'll respond to them as best I can here.
I found the DVD at our library's website and have checked it out. I look forward to watching it.
He might watch The Seven Samurai with me, though.
Also, my dad enjoyed watching _Pride & Prejudice_ with me, too, but my dear husband is not a fan, so I don't push it.
There's a glitch that makes comments disappear. It's very annoying. I've sent several e-mails to them about it, but have never heard back.
Hope you enjoy the movie!
So that's the secret… didn't know why you were posting "." before. : )
Yeah, posting a second time will make both appear. To avoid confusion, I just post the period. I guess that just created confusion though.
it did it again. . .
Suzie1, I tried to respond to your post, but this time it vanished and even the double post didn't bring it back. I'm stumped.
You're right. True maturity and love are based on respect. I see a connection with that theme and what I just posted on Shiloh Musings.
Seven Samurai
"Terms of Endearment". I think that sets the bar for which all 'movies as torture' should be judged.
I admit it — I finally rented Hidden Fortress because of the Star Wars influence; I wanted to see if it was true. Chalk up another one for my "I love Mifune and here's why" list! Yeah, I can see the inspiration.
I was going to ask this yesterday and completely forgot, so let me ask know while it's on my mind. Have any of you seen Mifune in the Samurai Trilogy? I believe the first movie won the best foreign language Oscar, but it was such a great viewing for me, watching Mifune's character go from the selfish "I want to be a samurai because it will bring me glory and fame" to a man of wisdom and great skill. His battle against the 40+ samurai — as in him against THEM — in Duel at Ichijoji Temple was incredible, and you know what? It's time I rented it again — it's been too long. (Just noticed on Amazon that you can get the Samurai Triology, a 3-disc REMASTERED Seven Samurai, Yojimbo and Sanjuro in some kind of "bargain" deal. Still a little rich for my blood, but very tempting!)
I know how you feel, my wife does not like the Three Stooges.
Maybe they disappeared too :O
LOL! You might be right.
My wife doesn't even know who Kurosawa is. She's into romantic comedies starring British guys named Collin.
Someone just shoot me.
I loved the Seven Samurai, too, but don't think my ex-wife did. I'm not sure if my current girl friend would like it, but could give a rat's behind.
It's nice to share some passions like movies and we do, but we don't like the same movies or share the same degree of enthusiasm for them. In other words, she doesn't have to like my favorite movie. If she despised it, then it may give me reason to pause, but I would ask why she hated it. I would want to watch her fave movie, too.
What I use as an indicator of a relationship is how comfortable I feel when she's driving. If a chick is a bad driver, then I don't know what to say but it's still about how comfortable you are with it
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Funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWIlGnJDRzw
Chicks often make up their minds on the title or premise of a film, As soon as they hear "Japanese" or "Samurai" you might as well forget it. Would it really of hurt her to be decent enough to sit through it once instead of walking out. You dont have to pretend to love it if you dont, but walking out before the middle of the film is rude. She forced his hand, like he really had any choice but to leave.Those actions would knock her down a notch in my books. ANYWAYS IT'S HER LOSS.
Another of my favorites is The Hidden Blade, part of a trilogy along with The Twilight Samurai and Love and Honor. Yes, each of these stories are about a samurai but they each contain exactly one fight scene and revolve around the love of their family. In firmly believe most woman would give these films half a chance they would enjoy them.
Sorry. I Firmly Believe if most women would give these films half a chance they would enjoy them.
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