Seven Samurai: And Other Screenplays: Ikiru, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood

Rating:
Summary: Akira Kurosawa is the most important Asian filmmaker.
Review: Not only because he is a great director, but because he knows Asian literature. In Seven Samurai, Kurosawa quotes from an important book: Water Margin. Water Margin has influenced Asian thinking throughout the centuries. As a matter of fact, there is a part where a teacher organizes seven volunteers. Obviously, an influence on Seven Samurai. Take it from Kurosawa, who knows his stuff.

Rating:
Summary: Akira Kurosawa is the most important Asian filmmaker.
Review: Not only because he is a great director, but because he knows Asian literature. In Seven Samurai, Kurosawa quotes from an important book: Water Margin. Water Margin has influenced Asian thinking throughout the centuries. As a matter of fact, there is a part where a teacher organizes seven volunteers. Obviously, an influence on Seven Samurai. Take it from Kurosawa, who knows his stuff.

Rating:
Summary: Read the scripts while you watch their Kurosawa classics
Review: The three screenplays included in this collection are based on Akira Kurosawa's shooting scripts. Included are: "Ikiru" (1952), the story of a Japanese civil servant coming to terms with old age and death; "Seven Samurai," the classic film where a small village hires samurai to defend themselves from bandits; and "Throne of Blood," Kurosawa's version of Shakesperae's "MacBeth." Both the introductions and the translations are by Donald Richie. In must be noted that Richie's translations are NOT the same as what you see on sub-titled versions of these films currently available. If you compare the two translations you will find Richie's is certainly superior, since it is not restrained by needing to be timed according to what is transpiring on the screen. Richie proves he knows what he is doing by selecting "Ikiru," Kurosawa's best non-jidai-geki (i.e, period film), over his more celebrated "Rashomon" (where dialogue is not of prime importance). Also, because the original 200-minute version of "Seven Samurai" was cut considerably before its general release, a reliable script of the original version does not exist. Consequently, although we all hoped otherwise, what is found here is based on the Toho script of the 160-minute version, the studio continuity, and movieola viewings of the Japanese, American and British prints of the film. Usually the value of having the script of a favorite film is that it is the original script, which allows you to find out what was cut, changed or added (e.g., Emma Thompson's script for "Sense & Sensibility"). But while these are the shooting scripts the fact that you will find so many examples of where things have literally been lost in translation makes them well worth the having if you are a devotee of Kurosawa.

Rating:
Summary: Read the scripts while you watch their Kurosawa classics
Review: The three screenplays included in this collection are based on Akira Kurosawa's shooting scripts. Included are: "Ikiru" (1952), the story of a Japanese civil servant coming to terms with old age and death; "Seven Samurai," the classic film where a small village hires samurai to defend themselves from bandits; and "Throne of Blood," Kurosawa's version of Shakesperae's "MacBeth." Both the introductions and the translations are by Donald Richie. In must be noted that Richie's translations are NOT the same as what you see on sub-titled versions of these films currently available. If you compare the two translations you will find Richie's is certainly superior, since it is not restrained by needing to be timed according to what is transpiring on the screen. Richie proves he knows what he is doing by selecting "Ikiru," Kurosawa's best non-jidai-geki (i.e, period film), over his more celebrated "Rashomon" (where dialogue is not of prime importance). Also, because the original 200-minute version of "Seven Samurai" was cut considerably before its general release, a reliable script of the original version does not exist. Consequently, although we all hoped otherwise, what is found here is based on the Toho script of the 160-minute version, the studio continuity, and movieola viewings of the Japanese, American and British prints of the film. Usually the value of having the script of a favorite film is that it is the original script, which allows you to find out what was cut, changed or added (e.g., Emma Thompson's script for "Sense & Sensibility"). But while these are the shooting scripts the fact that you will find so many examples of where things have literally been lost in translation makes them well worth the having if you are a devotee of Kurosawa.