Brilliance in the Classics: Seven Samurai

Hello to all of my fellow movie-enthusiasts! Welcome to another review from Critical Films, and today I will be discussing possibly my favorite film of all time. Sichinin no Samurai (Seven Samurai)! This brilliant film was released in Japan in 1954, and is an acclaimed classic directed by the amazing Akira Kurosawa. This action/drama is very well known in Eastern culture, but not as much in its homeland. Due to its age it is a colorless film, but it adds to authenticity of the acting in my opinion. Back then, it was more difficult to create fighting scenes without the special effects we have today. This film includes fantastic acting by Takashi Shimura, Toshiro Mifune, and many others!

Based in the 16th century, this story tells the tale of a farming village that is constantly raided by bandits. Eventually, they cannot survive if they are attacked again, and must resort to finding some samurai to defend them. After finding a Samurai by the name of Kanbei (Takashi Shimura), he tells them that the most effective way of defending the village with little to pay the samurai is at least seven. Together, the seven prepare the village for the upcoming battle to fend off the vicious thieves.

This film is an estimated 207 minutes long, and was nominated for 2 Oscars, 4 wins, and 5 other nominations. With a current MetaScore of 99/100, ranked 17th best film on IMDB, and 24th on Rotten Tomatoes shows that this film is a definite must-see film. The film contains a simple, yet fully developed plot that expands into an array of suspense and action.

Akira Kurosawa has been considered by many as possibly the best director of all time, and this film it at the top of his successes.

 

There have been many films and television series influenced by this masterpiece such as The Magnificent Seven and the anime series Samurai 7.

Overall, I would rate this film a 9.5/10. Although I love this movie very much, it is difficult to give a perfect score on any film. This film may not be enjoyable to some viewers, but is renowned throughout the world as one of the best films ever. I see very little flaws in the film besides the occasional goof, but no film is perfect.

In the near future, I plan on reviewing other Kurosawa films, the Godfather trilogy, and many other films that have been ranked by the most prestigious critics.

Top of the List: The Shawshank Redemption

Greetings to all of my avid movie watchers out there! Today I will be discussing a matter that is known throughout film history. This movie is currently considered the best of all time by IMDB and is ranked on numerous other sites. This movie is of course The Shawshank Redemption.

Released in 1994, this stunning tale follows a banker named Andrew Dufresne (Tim Robbins), who is falsely accused of murdering his wife and her lover, and is sentenced to life in Shawshank Prison in 1947. There, he meets a convict named Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman) who serves as a salesman withing the walls of their world. Through the worst of challenges, Andy is able to overcome the corrupted prisoners, use his skills to do good for his fellow man and to befriend the monstrous foundation of guards under the warden, and break through with his boundless courage. Serving as a fantastic prison drama, it also is used as a metaphor for the prisons we ourselves are trapped in. A true tribute to the human spirit.

The film is ranked first on IMDB’s Top 250 films of all time, but surprisingly, is not on the Top 100 list of RottenTomatoes. The film has a fresh 98%, while hundreds of films maintain a solid 100% freshness. Although many people consider these reviews meaningless in discovering enjoyable film, it is a good skeleton of what to look for. Shawshank Redemption was a stunning film, and was enjoyable. Although I feel IMDB is giving this film a little too much credit. The film maintains a strong plot with a beloved cast while contrasting cruelty and hope, but the film manages to leave out some loose moments in time, and can be boring at moments. There are not many complexities within the film, making it simple with little thought of full understanding. Personally, I like a film where you have to think about the scenarios presented. Overall, the film is a cult classic, and should be seen at least once.

Critical Films Rating: 8/10

***SPOILER ALERT***

QUESTION: Is Andy’s escape realistic?

Another problem I had with the film was the scene where Andy escapes. Although it took much time and effort to plan the perfect getaway from Shawshank, it seemed difficult to believe that he was able to dig through the walls unnoticed, break into the septic pipes, then being able to fit within the pipes and crawl several miles through feces to safety. Digging through excrement could cause a large array of diseases with the amount in those pipes, and being surrounded by it in a closed area for such a long time could be noxious, possibly causing you to faint. It may be me being to literal with the movie (since it is just a movie after all), but it is a question that arose in my head when that scene occurred, and there is no real sense of fantasy or fiction within the context of the film (it is fiction though).

Another Blog Begins…

Hello to everyone out there! My name is Connor Bazil and I will soon begin giving my reviews on films; new and old. This post is just about what this blog will represent, as my other blog was about the trading card game YuGiOh. Do not worry, that blog will still be worked on, but less frequently. This blog will become my priority, since YuGiOh is not interesting to me anymore, and i’d prefer to expand my horizons, and follow my passion of movie watching!