I've only seen parts of both films, but are the 7 in this film directly modeled after the 7 in the Japanese film? I noticed some obvious references, like the wood-chopping character, but are there are other direct similarities? Please talk about them with their character names so I can follow along. This is research I'm doing for a video project. Thanks.
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It's been a while since I've seen Seven Samurai so I can't help you. I do, however, suggest you post a topic under "I need to know" in the main news & community message boards located at the top. IMDb's not letting me hyperlink it for some reason. There's a lot more traffic there and people always amaze me at how much they know. Or perhaps put a topic on the upcoming film's board.
I seem to remember the kid and the girl being pretty similar.
shareThe kid and the girl were similar, but the Samurai didn't pull any punched when it came to the two hitting the hay. Though the girl was slut-shamed by her father in front of the entire village.
This film, however, was made not too long after the USA became a christian nation (adding 'Under God' to the pledge of allegiance in 1954) so there was no scene alluding to premarital sex.
Also, the kid died in Samurai, where in this film he lives to take the girl (as a good christian should) and become a farmer again.
Be sure to proof your posts to see if you any words out
"This film, however, was made not too long after the USA became a christian nation (adding 'Under God' to the pledge of allegiance in 1954) so there was no scene alluding to premarital sex."
The United States has had predominantly Judeo-Christian values since its inception. This aspect of American culture did not begin in the 1950s. Strict censorship of sexual content in U.S. films had already been in effect for more than a quarter century when "The Magnificent Seven" was made.
The kid was accurate, though the character wasn't a kid in Samurai, all else was about the same. He even dropped in on the outlaw camp in Samurai.
The plot part of hiding the girls, one pretty one in particular, was spot on. Though I think the girl in Samurai hooked up with a different hired hand than the kid equivalent.
The Brenner part is pretty close in so far as there being a sage, respected leader. The old man in the village, living just outside the center of the village, was also accurate, though he died in Samurai for his 'not coming into to town' ways.
I don't recall there being an equivalent Harry Luck, always looking for the riches.
I also don't recall there being a Lee-like character, streak of fears to overcome like that.
A big difference in the story line: In Samurai, there was no being bested by the outlaws in the village and having to ride out, alive and then given their guns back. I found that to be unrealistic and pretty ridiculous.
In Samurai, they did a much better job with military tactics.
Samurai is to me a better film in that and most other regards.
Be sure to proof your posts to see if you any words out
"Also, the kid died in Samurai . . ." Huh? Not in any of the several prints I've seen over the years. Including this, which I just looked up:
(Those of you who haven't seen the movie should skip this if you don't want to know which samurai live and which ones die.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuTcL8A5gUc&list=PLhbb3wdghNhTft0lXLBc8wO2i1LbC1lLD
To me the closest counterpart to the samurai was Britt, played by James Coburn, and this guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31ry9HOmI-Y
I forget the Japanese swordmaster's name; I just think of him as "the samurai with a face like Ed Sullivan's." In fact, I understand that when Coburn saw THE SEVEN SAMURAI and heard John Sturges was planning a remake as an Amerrican Western, he called Sturges up ASAP and asked him to be in the remake and to play a character based on the swordmaster.
"Also, the kid died in Samurai . . ." Huh? Not in any of the several prints I've seen over the years. Including this, which I just looked up:
"The kid from Seven Samurai in the video you posted is not the equivalent of Chico." He sort of is. Like Chico he's inexperienced and gets a girlfriend out of the adventure. In the western version they didn't have exact counterparts to the samurai. I think one of the samurai is friendly to the village kids, like Bernardo Reilly, but otherwise is not that much like Bernardo.
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