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AKIRA KUROSAWA
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A truly good movie
is really enjoyable, too.
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There's nothing
complicated about it.
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00:00:14,348 --> 00:00:18,444
A truly good movie is interesting
and easy to understand.
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Ready.
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Action!
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He loved cinema
and believed in its power.
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Akira Kurosawa
lived his life for cinema.
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He made 30 films in his lifetime,
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all of which have been
appreciated worldwide.
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Kurosawa's films have had
a great impact on the film industry.
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00:00:44,111 --> 00:00:46,205
Let's take a look at his passion
FINAL SCENE OF MADADAYO
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throughout the 55 years
of moviemaking
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that began with Sanshiro Sugata.
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Cut!
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IT 1S WONDERFUL TO CREATE!
— AKIRA KUROSAWA
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IT WAS ALL THERE IN THE SCRIPT
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I often say this,
but cinema is like a public square
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where people of the world gather.
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On the screen, we see people
living in different parts of the world,
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and we share the full spectrum
of their emotions
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and come to understand them.
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When we see them happy, we're happy.
When they suffer, we suffer too.
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So I say that cinema is a system
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that can inspire
people of the world to get along.
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The greatest masterpiece
in the history of Japanese cinema:
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Seven Samurai.
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The film had a great impact
on filmmakers in Japan
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as well as overseas.
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Hot damn!
Here they come!
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Let me share the background
of how the film was conceived
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as we highlight some key scenes.
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ATAMI, DECEMBER 1952
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In 1952, three men gathered
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at an inn in Atami.
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They came to write a screenplay
for Seven Samurai,
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Kurosawa's tenth film,
following Ikiru.
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In order to write a realistic action story
with samurai as a theme,
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the three men shut themselves up
in this room.
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Seven Samurai is considered
the greatest film in the history of cinema,
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the film that exemplifies
the truest nature of the medium.
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A writer who has written many plays,
MASAYUKI YUI — ACTOR
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Hisashi Inoue, has said,
“First of all, the script is wonderful.
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It's as if it was rendered
by some supernatural power.”
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The script held in such high esteem
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was conceived in this very room.
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Kurosawa sat here
and worked on the script.
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00:03:31,978 --> 00:03:37,144
He and two writers holed up
in here for the duration of the task.
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00:03:40,020 --> 00:03:41,818
The script,
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00:03:41,988 --> 00:03:46,949
which these three men completed
after 45 days of struggle,
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would go on to upset the long-held
conventions of Japanese period drama.
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THE ABANDONED FIRST SCENE
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During the Civil Wars,
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an endless cycle of conflict
left the countryside overrun by bandits.
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Peaceable folk lived in terror
of the thunder of approaching hooves...
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Seven Samurai starts
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00:04:18,391 --> 00:04:21,224
with the thundering gallop
of bandits' horses.
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00:04:21,394 --> 00:04:24,591
In an epic drama
of three hours and 27 minutes,
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the first line of dialogue is this one,
spoken by one of the bandits.
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Take this village too?
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The bandit says,
“Take this village foo?”
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In the script there was
actually a preceding scene
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of another village
being attacked by the bandits.
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00:04:50,524 --> 00:04:54,392
Therefore, the bandits were
on their way back from that raid.
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00:04:54,728 --> 00:04:59,165
Including the preceding scene would have
enhanced the film's action-movie quality,
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00:04:59,332 --> 00:05:03,929
but Kurosawa took it out.
Why did he do that?
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00:05:05,005 --> 00:05:09,169
I don't like
a very elaborate first scene.
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It's not good when the first scene
is really impressive.
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00:05:12,312 --> 00:05:14,974
It should be an unassuming lead-in
to the story.
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00:05:16,316 --> 00:05:19,149
Even working
from such a highly praised script,
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Kurosawa was unsparing.
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00:05:20,987 --> 00:05:24,116
In fact, Seven Samurai
was the result
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of discarding various ideas
from the script-writing stage.
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HIRING SAMURAI
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We fight.
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Old Man, that's madness.
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We're farmers.
What do we know of battle?
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We'll hire samurai.
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00:05:47,948 --> 00:05:51,646
Whoever heard of farmers
hiring samurai?
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00:05:52,485 --> 00:05:54,453
Farmers hiring samurai
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00:05:54,621 --> 00:05:56,885
was a truly
extraordinary idea
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00:05:57,057 --> 00:05:59,287
that started the story rolling.
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00:05:59,459 --> 00:06:02,121
The script was written
by these three men:
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00:06:02,295 --> 00:06:05,629
Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu
Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguri,
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the same threesome
that wrote the script for Ikiru.
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00:06:11,605 --> 00:06:15,405
SCREENPLAY BY AKIRA KUROSAWA,
SHINOBU HASHIMOTO, HIDEO OGUNI
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Oguni didn't write a single line.
SHINOBU HASHIMOTO — SCREENWRITER
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00:06:19,579 --> 00:06:23,243
Kurosawa and I would be writing
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on this side of the table,
and Oguni would be on that side.
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We'd write a few pages
and pass them to Oguni.
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00:06:30,223 --> 00:06:33,249
He'd read them, and when he said,
“Good,” then that was it,
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00:06:33,426 --> 00:06:37,590
but when he criticized what he read,
we'd have to rewrite it.
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00:06:40,634 --> 00:06:43,467
With Oguni steering the storyline,
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00:06:43,637 --> 00:06:48,438
Kurosawa and Hashimoto
did the actual writing.
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Kurosawa was good at telling stories,
WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL STORY?
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so I'd find myself getting caught up.
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He said, “A samurai wakes up
in the morning, right?
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He must certainly groom himself
by shaving the top of his head.
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Then he prays at a Buddhist altar,
has breakfast and goes to work.
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00:07:16,436 --> 00:07:21,169
At the castle, where he works,
he makes a very minor mistake,
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and when he comes home,
he kills himself by performing harakiri.
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00:07:24,678 --> 00:07:26,646
Isn't that a good story?”
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00:07:26,813 --> 00:07:28,804
He tells it so well,
you can't help but agree.
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00:07:28,982 --> 00:07:31,917
He also sald it was going to be
a reallstic period drama
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00:07:32,085 --> 00:07:34,053
unlike any we were
then familiar with.
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He said, “Period dramas
came from Kabuki,
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00:07:36,756 --> 00:07:39,054
so there's too much
Kabuki influence.
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00:07:39,225 --> 00:07:41,216
But movies in this genre
should be different.
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I want to make
a realistic period movie.”
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And he asked me to conduct
thorough research to that end.
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So I did research, met a lot of people
and asked a lot of questions.
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00:07:51,905 --> 00:07:54,169
But I couldn't find out
anything relevant.
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In the end, ‘A Day in a Samurar's Life”
was abandoned.
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Kurosawa said,
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00:08:02,682 --> 00:08:04,776
“There were great swordsmen
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00:08:04,918 --> 00:08:07,979
like Bokuzen Tsukahara
and Sekishusai Yagyu.
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00:08:08,154 --> 00:08:12,523
We can make a film highlighting
five such swordsmen's famous battles.
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00:08:12,692 --> 00:08:15,127
It'll be an action-filled
samurai movie,
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and I think we can make
something interesting.
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00:08:18,031 --> 00:08:20,432
What do you think?”
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00:08:21,001 --> 00:08:23,834
It took me about three months
to write a script based on that idea.
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00:08:24,004 --> 00:08:28,999
As I reread the completed script,
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I wasn't completely happy with it,
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00:08:31,911 --> 00:08:34,141
but Kurosawa was anxiously waiting,
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00:08:34,314 --> 00:08:37,807
because six months had elapsed
since the first idea for the harakiri story.
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00:08:37,984 --> 00:08:40,976
So I took the script to his house
in Komaya,
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00:08:41,154 --> 00:08:44,180
where he was living at the time,
and he immediately began reading.
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00:08:44,357 --> 00:08:49,090
He read each page carefully,
taking his time.
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00:08:49,262 --> 00:08:53,199
I had no choice
but to just sit there.
130
00:08:53,366 --> 00:08:57,701
Finally he finished reading
the last page and put it down.
131
00:08:58,238 --> 00:09:00,366
He said, “Hashimoto,
132
00:09:00,540 --> 00:09:02,975
I guess it wasn't a good idea
133
00:09:03,143 --> 00:09:06,977
to construct an entire movie
as a series of climaxes.”
134
00:09:10,183 --> 00:09:13,949
So that second idea
was thrown out too.
135
00:09:14,354 --> 00:09:18,848
And thus his next
film project came to a halt.
136
00:09:19,025 --> 00:09:22,427
The harakiri story was out,
and so was the swordsmen story.
137
00:09:23,229 --> 00:09:27,359
So he and I talked
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00:09:27,534 --> 00:09:31,300
to Sojiro Motoki
SOJIRO MOTOKI — PRODUCER
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00:09:31,471 --> 00:09:34,236
about the days when there were
many swordsmen.
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00:09:36,443 --> 00:09:41,574
We asked, “These swordsmen traveled
all over Japan to perfect their skill.
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00:09:41,748 --> 00:09:47,414
It doesn't seem they were well-off
or had much money.
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00:09:47,587 --> 00:09:50,056
How were they able to travel?”
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00:09:50,223 --> 00:09:53,818
Motoki looked into it right away,
and he came back with answers.
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00:09:53,993 --> 00:10:00,456
Around the end of the Civil Wars,
when a martial artist
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00:10:00,900 --> 00:10:04,029
traveled around the country
to perfect his swordsmanship,
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00:10:04,204 --> 00:10:09,233
he'd visit a kendo school and be given
one night's lodging and a meal.
147
00:10:09,409 --> 00:10:13,505
And the next morning
he'd be served breakfast.
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00:10:13,680 --> 00:10:15,444
He'd also be given
a handful of dried, cooked rice,
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00:10:15,615 --> 00:10:18,778
which was to serve
as his lunch on the road.
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00:10:18,952 --> 00:10:21,751
So these swordsmen were able
to travel with very little money.
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00:10:21,921 --> 00:10:24,822
Then I asked, “What about
when there was no kendo school?”
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And he told me that Buddhist temples
gave them lodging.
153
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In those days, Buddhist temples
would always let them stay.
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00:10:32,132 --> 00:10:34,658
Temples provided
a night's lodging and a meal,
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as well as breakfast
the next morning.
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00:10:37,370 --> 00:10:41,398
If there was neither a kendo school
nor a Buddhist temple, then what?
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I wanted to know what happened
in such a situation
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00:10:44,544 --> 00:10:46,342
and asked Motoki to find out.
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00:10:46,513 --> 00:10:49,244
He told me that
around the end of the Civil Wars,
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00:10:49,415 --> 00:10:52,180
there were bandits everywhere.
161
00:10:52,352 --> 00:10:56,880
Because of this problem with bandits,
if a samurai went to a peasant village
162
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and served on a night watch,
then he was provided with a meal.
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I thought, “This is it!”
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Right then and there
we decided we'd write a story
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about farmers hiring samurai
to fight the bandits.
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00:11:11,070 --> 00:11:16,304
How did Kurosawa work
auring the script-writing process?
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00:11:17,243 --> 00:11:21,237
I'd pass him what I'd just written.
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00:11:23,016 --> 00:11:25,917
He'd mutter,
“What is this? This is rubbish.”
169
00:11:26,085 --> 00:11:30,784
He'd yell at me, “Don't you have
any sense of the flow of the story?
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00:11:30,957 --> 00:11:33,858
I'll tell you how this sequence
should be written.”
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00:11:34,027 --> 00:11:38,487
I wasn't the director,
so I didn't think like a director.
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There was nothing I could do
but rewrite the entire sequence.
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00:11:44,604 --> 00:11:49,064
When I was done,
I'd pass the pages to him.
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00:11:49,275 --> 00:11:54,679
He'd grunt as he read them.
Then he'd get angry and say,
175
00:11:54,847 --> 00:11:57,976
“You can write well
when you apply yourself.
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00:11:58,151 --> 00:12:02,611
Why didn't you do it right
the first time?”
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00:12:05,191 --> 00:12:10,027
Kurosawa's storyboard
for the film's trailer is preserved.
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00:12:10,196 --> 00:12:13,598
The storyboard states
that the film depicts
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00:12:13,766 --> 00:12:17,964
ideal samurai whose conduct
Is not motivated by fame or greed.
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00:12:25,712 --> 00:12:29,376
Kurosawa said that being holed up
in that inn for 45 days
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was really hard.
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00:12:31,551 --> 00:12:34,851
When he got tired, he'd walk out
HIROMICHI HORIKAWA — DIRECTOR
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00:12:35,021 --> 00:12:37,718
to the garden
and watch the carp in the pond,
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00:12:37,890 --> 00:12:39,824
but he never stepped outside the inn.
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00:12:41,828 --> 00:12:44,160
“A movie as rich
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00:12:44,330 --> 00:12:48,267
as a buttered steak
topped with grilled eel.”
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00:12:48,434 --> 00:12:51,836
This was how Kurosawa answered
when asked to describe the film.
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00:12:53,072 --> 00:12:58,169
THE SAMURAI THEME
189
00:12:59,712 --> 00:13:02,306
Among the music that
Fumio Hayasaka composed,
190
00:13:02,715 --> 00:13:07,414
the “Samurai Theme” from
Seven Samurai /s the most popular piece.
191
00:13:07,587 --> 00:13:11,217
We hear the music for the first time
in this scene with Kambel.
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00:13:19,632 --> 00:13:21,828
MUSIC NOTEBOOK
FOR SEVEN SAMURA/
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00:13:22,001 --> 00:13:26,438
Actually, Hayasaka had originally
discarded the piece.
194
00:13:26,606 --> 00:13:28,938
The pieces that Hayasaka
had prepared for the film
195
00:13:29,108 --> 00:13:32,408
were not to Kurosawa's liking
and were all refected.
196
00:13:32,578 --> 00:13:36,378
In desperation, Hayasaka picked up
a previously discarded score
197
00:13:36,549 --> 00:13:40,452
and played it on the piano
for Kurosawa, and it was accepted.
198
00:13:49,562 --> 00:13:52,395
The music really grabs you.
199
00:13:53,299 --> 00:13:56,428
The “grabbing” Kurosawa talked about.
SHIN' ICHIRO IKEBE — MUSIC DIRECTOR
200
00:13:56,602 --> 00:13:59,264
You mean the theme from
Seven Samurai?
201
00:13:59,439 --> 00:14:02,807
You hear it once and can't forget it,
because it has a strong flavor,
202
00:14:02,975 --> 00:14:05,467
and yet it has
no unnecessary elements.
203
00:14:05,645 --> 00:14:09,946
It's solid and direct,
like calligraphy of a single stroke.
204
00:14:10,116 --> 00:14:12,141
Kurosawa liked that kind of music.
205
00:14:12,318 --> 00:14:17,051
I heard Kurosawa asked Hayasaka
to compose something like that,
206
00:14:17,223 --> 00:14:22,059
but he didn't like the pieces
Hayasaka played for him.
207
00:14:22,528 --> 00:14:26,726
After the last piece, Hayasaka said
he actually had one more.
208
00:14:26,899 --> 00:14:31,860
He played a piece retrieved from
the trash basket, and that was the one.
209
00:14:32,038 --> 00:14:35,269
Hayasaka may have
planned it that way.
210
00:14:35,441 --> 00:14:38,570
Like your “eighth piece”
that you used fo place last on purpose.
211
00:14:38,745 --> 00:14:41,373
Maybe the piece in the trash basket
was the one he liked the best.
212
00:14:41,547 --> 00:14:43,982
I shouldn't say that.
It's disrespectful.
213
00:14:44,650 --> 00:14:49,781
THE PERSONALITIES
OF THE SEVEN SAMURAI
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00:14:51,657 --> 00:14:53,785
When the seven samurai
arrive at the viflage,
215
00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:58,625
they're received coldly by the farmers,
who are fearful of them.
216
00:14:58,998 --> 00:15:00,932
Hey, what's wrong?
217
00:15:05,004 --> 00:15:06,631
What's the matter?
218
00:15:20,887 --> 00:15:23,754
This is a fine welcome.
219
00:15:29,462 --> 00:15:33,126
Something was needed to connect
the farmers and samurai.
220
00:15:33,299 --> 00:15:38,203
That role would fall to Mifune.
221
00:15:50,483 --> 00:15:52,474
No one saw any bandits?
222
00:15:53,352 --> 00:15:54,842
Then who sounded the alarm?
223
00:15:55,021 --> 00:16:00,425
KIKUCHIYO: I did!
224
00:16:02,161 --> 00:16:03,993
Hey, blockheads.
225
00:16:04,163 --> 00:16:07,565
Remember how you welcomed us
when we got here?
226
00:16:08,167 --> 00:16:11,000
But as soon as I bang on this,
227
00:16:11,170 --> 00:16:14,140
“Samurai, sirs!
Samurai, please!”
228
00:16:14,841 --> 00:16:16,832
You're practically groveling!
229
00:16:22,014 --> 00:16:24,745
Got what you deserved,
you mud snails.
230
00:16:25,685 --> 00:16:28,484
Kurosawa designated Kikuchiyo,
played by Mifune,
231
00:16:28,654 --> 00:16:32,613
as the buffoon who serves as a bridge
between the farmers and the samurai.
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00:16:40,199 --> 00:16:42,429
The seven men
are rich in character.
233
00:16:42,602 --> 00:16:45,731
How were their personalities
determined?
234
00:17:03,789 --> 00:17:07,248
When I agreed to write the script
and we got together to write,
235
00:17:07,426 --> 00:17:11,556
Kurosawa pulled out a notebook
and placed it on the table.
236
00:17:11,731 --> 00:17:16,168
Then he opened the notebook,
and I could see his notes.
237
00:17:16,335 --> 00:17:19,600
The name Shichiroji was circled,
and his description followed.
238
00:17:19,772 --> 00:17:22,241
“He's five feet
and some inches tall,
239
00:17:22,408 --> 00:17:27,539
and a little on the pudgy side.
240
00:17:27,713 --> 00:17:30,546
He walks
in such-and-such a manner.
241
00:17:30,716 --> 00:17:33,447
He speaks
in such-and-such a way.
242
00:17:33,619 --> 00:17:37,146
When he's called from behind,
he looks back in response
243
00:17:37,323 --> 00:17:41,920
in a certain way in case of emergency,
and in a different manner otherwise.”
244
00:17:42,094 --> 00:17:45,394
Each of the seven samurai
was described in similar detail.
245
00:17:45,565 --> 00:17:47,932
Shimura's character
Kambei resembles
246
00:17:48,100 --> 00:17:51,900
Nobutsuna Koizumi in the abandoned
script about the swordsmen.
247
00:17:52,071 --> 00:17:56,474
So we made good use of the attributes
of the characters in that script
248
00:17:56,642 --> 00:17:58,542
to flesh out the seven characters.
249
00:17:58,711 --> 00:18:04,172
For instance, Seiji Miyaguchi's character
resembles Musashi Miyamoto.
250
00:18:04,350 --> 00:18:07,581
So a character outline had been
prepared for each of the seven men.
251
00:18:07,753 --> 00:18:14,250
When I initially saw the contents
of Kurosawa's notebook,
252
00:18:14,427 --> 00:18:18,364
I thought, “Wow! He really puts
great effort into his films.”
253
00:18:19,599 --> 00:18:21,567
AKIRA KUROSAWA MEMORIAL HALL
254
00:18:21,734 --> 00:18:24,704
The notes Hashimoto refers to still exist.
255
00:18:24,870 --> 00:18:27,862
Some of the notes are on display,
along with many other valuable items,
256
00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:31,305
at the Akira Kurosawa Memorial Hall.
257
00:19:05,344 --> 00:19:09,212
Here are Kurosawa's
film notebooks.
258
00:19:10,716 --> 00:19:16,780
They were discovered
after his death in 1998
259
00:19:17,189 --> 00:19:24,061
and are filled
with an unbelievable amount of images.
260
00:19:24,263 --> 00:19:30,635
Many of the notes seem to reveal
secrets to Kurosawa's filmmaking.
261
00:19:34,573 --> 00:19:38,771
A total of 46 notebooks
were discovered,
262
00:19:38,944 --> 00:19:43,404
and six of them contained
notes for Seven Samurai.
263
00:19:43,582 --> 00:19:47,644
Written in them were fragments
of elements to be inserted into the film,
264
00:19:47,820 --> 00:19:49,948
Kurosawa's perspective
on tackling the project,
265
00:19:50,122 --> 00:19:55,492
and a detailed character outline
for each of the seven samurai.
266
00:19:55,661 --> 00:19:59,689
Some notes came fo be used
as part of the film's dialogue.
267
00:20:08,374 --> 00:20:12,004
These are names considered
for the seven samurai.
268
00:20:12,178 --> 00:20:16,843
KAMBEI, GENTA, KATSUSHIRO,
SHINKURO, SABUROBEI, MAGOBEI
269
00:20:21,721 --> 00:20:23,815
Kambei, the leader of the seven men,
270
00:20:23,989 --> 00:20:28,256
was to be played by Takashi Shimura
from the very beginning.
271
00:20:28,627 --> 00:20:31,426
He's described as a man
of nearly 50 years
272
00:20:31,597 --> 00:20:33,929
with striking white hair
ILLUSTRATION BY AKIRA KUROSAWA
273
00:20:34,100 --> 00:20:38,435
who's fought in many battles,
but never on the winning side.
274
00:20:39,572 --> 00:20:42,132
It's the most important role,
275
00:20:42,308 --> 00:20:45,209
since it's his personality
that brings the other men together.
276
00:20:52,551 --> 00:20:58,649
ILLUSTRATION BY KOHEI EZAKI
277
00:21:00,092 --> 00:21:03,084
There's nothing
special about me.
278
00:21:03,395 --> 00:21:06,524
I may have seen
my share of battle,
279
00:21:06,799 --> 00:21:09,769
but always on the losing side.
280
00:21:09,935 --> 00:21:12,404
That about sums me up.
281
00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:20,001
Gorobei is positioned
as Kambei's adviser and right-hand man.
282
00:21:20,579 --> 00:21:25,244
Kurosawa reminds himself not to make
the character into a lesser Kambei.
283
00:21:26,652 --> 00:21:29,849
This scene fo test Gorober's ability
as a swordsman was taken
284
00:21:30,022 --> 00:21:31,888
from an episode
in Bokuzen Tsukahara's life.
285
00:21:34,093 --> 00:21:37,825
YOSHIO INABA
AS GOROBEI
286
00:21:39,865 --> 00:21:41,765
Surely you jest.
287
00:21:45,304 --> 00:21:48,535
Heihachi, who sels
the mood for the group,
288
00:21:48,707 --> 00:21:51,472
Is also a great master
at coming up with nicknames.
289
00:21:59,685 --> 00:22:01,414
What's wrong,
Lord Kikuchiyo?
290
00:22:01,587 --> 00:22:03,282
MINORU CHIAKI
AS HEIHACHI
291
00:22:06,392 --> 00:22:08,360
What's the matter, junior?
292
00:22:16,802 --> 00:22:20,432
Shichiroji is Kambei's loyal helpmate.
293
00:22:24,610 --> 00:22:29,172
Truth is, there's a tough battle ahead
leading to neither money nor rank.
294
00:22:29,348 --> 00:22:31,715
Will you join?
- Yes.
295
00:22:32,918 --> 00:22:34,750
This may be the one
that kills us.
296
00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:40,154
DAISUKE KATO
AS SHICHIROJI
297
00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:44,186
Katsushiro is the son
of a wealthy landowner.
298
00:22:44,363 --> 00:22:48,561
He ran away to become a samurai
against his parents' wishes.
299
00:22:49,068 --> 00:22:50,968
Tomorrow you go home.
ISAO KIMURA AS KATSUSHIRO
300
00:22:51,570 --> 00:22:54,130
You've learned a lot
these four or five days.
301
00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:56,205
You have fine stories to tell.
302
00:23:11,390 --> 00:23:15,327
Kyuzo is a master swordsman
modeled after Musashi Miyamoto.
303
00:23:15,694 --> 00:23:20,427
His conauct is based
on strict, self-imposed rules.
304
00:23:21,033 --> 00:23:24,333
He is haughty
and cold in demeanor.
305
00:23:31,377 --> 00:23:36,008
His first appearance also resembles
an episode in the swordsmen script.
306
00:23:58,771 --> 00:24:03,607
I had never tried my hand at kendo,
SEIJI MIYAGUCHI — ACTOR
307
00:24:04,276 --> 00:24:07,075
and I was to play
a master swordsman,
308
00:24:07,246 --> 00:24:09,806
so I declined at first,
feeling I wasn't right for the role.
309
00:24:09,982 --> 00:24:14,351
But Kurosawa assured me it was
all up to the magic of camerawork,
310
00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:16,284
so I accepted the role.
311
00:24:16,655 --> 00:24:24,927
I learned how to wield a sword
in a crash course of one or two days,
312
00:24:25,097 --> 00:24:27,088
which caused a spell of anemia,
313
00:24:27,266 --> 00:24:29,997
and I couldn't move
the day before I was to shoot a scene.
314
00:24:31,036 --> 00:24:33,368
Although Kyuzo comes off
as a merciless swordsman,
315
00:24:33,539 --> 00:24:35,871
he has a gentle heart underneath.
316
00:24:39,078 --> 00:24:41,547
How are you? Tired?
317
00:24:43,615 --> 00:24:47,518
Poor man.
You've lost a lot of weight.
318
00:24:47,686 --> 00:24:50,986
I'll go.
I swear I'll get one!
319
00:24:51,890 --> 00:24:54,655
No. You're looking to die.
I'll go.
320
00:25:00,032 --> 00:25:03,559
In the script there was a scene
in which Kyuzo turns out to be clumsy
321
00:25:03,736 --> 00:25:06,171
when he helps farmers
with harvesting wheat.
322
00:25:06,338 --> 00:25:09,171
Although the scene was shot,
it was cut from the film.
323
00:25:13,312 --> 00:25:16,111
Kikuchiyo,
played by Toshiro Mifune,
324
00:25:16,281 --> 00:25:19,911
is the most colorful character
among the seven men.
325
00:25:21,053 --> 00:25:26,082
Initially, the character was named
Zenbei in Kurosawa's notebook.
326
00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:31,323
Zenbei is described
as a man with a dreadful past,
327
00:25:31,497 --> 00:25:33,659
a monstrous proauct
of the Age of Civil Wars,
328
00:25:33,832 --> 00:25:36,096
a character with a dark background.
329
00:25:36,268 --> 00:25:39,932
When Zenbei was changed to Kikuchiyo,
gone was the dark characterization.
330
00:25:40,806 --> 00:25:43,537
What remained was a character
331
00:25:43,709 --> 00:25:46,735
described as an unconventional,
almost primitive, hot-blooded man,
332
00:25:46,912 --> 00:25:50,246
all of which fully drew out
Mifune's magnetism.
333
00:25:51,350 --> 00:25:53,978
But tell me this:
Who turned them into such monsters?
334
00:25:54,153 --> 00:25:57,521
You did!
You samurai did!
335
00:25:58,524 --> 00:26:00,686
A wild, hot-blooded man,
336
00:26:00,859 --> 00:26:04,295
Kikuchiyo was yet another person
whose life was thrown off course
337
00:26:04,463 --> 00:26:06,659
by the turmoil of the civil wars.
338
00:26:07,566 --> 00:26:10,092
This baby... is me.
339
00:26:10,836 --> 00:26:13,362
This is just what happened to me.
340
00:26:18,444 --> 00:26:23,405
CAPTURING LIGHT IN THE EYES
341
00:26:25,317 --> 00:26:29,652
Within the solidly masculine movie,
the only love story that takes place
342
00:26:29,822 --> 00:26:32,120
involves a farmer's daughter
and a samurai.
343
00:26:33,225 --> 00:26:36,286
It's all right. I don't mind.
We can't know
344
00:26:36,462 --> 00:26:38,430
what the future holds!
345
00:26:38,597 --> 00:26:43,364
In Kurosawa's films, light must be
caught in the eyes of the actor.
346
00:26:43,569 --> 00:26:46,368
In this scene in which Shino expresses
her feelings to Katsushiro,
347
00:26:46,772 --> 00:26:52,108
the script describes her eyes
as ‘glittering.”
348
00:26:53,445 --> 00:26:56,779
The use of mirrors that had proved
successful in Rashomon
349
00:26:56,949 --> 00:26:59,646
became stanaard practice
when lighting scenes in the woods.
350
00:27:00,319 --> 00:27:03,516
AKIRA KUROSAWA
When lighting this scene
proved fo be difficult,
351
00:27:03,822 --> 00:27:06,416
Kurosawa himself helped out.
352
00:27:06,892 --> 00:27:09,259
Keiko Tsushima, who played Shino,
injured her eyes
353
00:27:09,428 --> 00:27:11,226
from repeated
screen tests and retakes.
354
00:27:11,396 --> 00:27:13,330
Still, Kurosawa wasn't satisfied.
355
00:27:13,799 --> 00:27:17,929
Kurosawa wasn't happy with the shots
of the scene taken there,
356
00:27:18,103 --> 00:27:21,664
so we had to reshoot it on a studio set.
He said that was okay.
357
00:27:22,941 --> 00:27:25,308
But when I got home in the evening,
MITSUO KANEKO — LIGHTING TECHNICIAN
358
00:27:25,477 --> 00:27:28,811
I felt responsible and couldn't sleep.
359
00:27:29,481 --> 00:27:32,314
Here is one scene
Kaneko is proud of.
360
00:27:32,484 --> 00:27:35,784
We can clearly see the light
caught in Shino's eyes.
361
00:27:35,954 --> 00:27:41,120
Kurosawa wanted her eyes to look
362
00:27:41,927 --> 00:27:45,329
like those of a hawk
aimed at its prey.
363
00:27:45,497 --> 00:27:48,865
So I embedded the lights in the field
364
00:27:49,034 --> 00:27:51,025
in order to light her from below.
365
00:28:00,212 --> 00:28:05,378
PROBLEMS BURNING DOWN
THE WATER MILL
366
00:28:06,218 --> 00:28:08,482
The scene of the burning water mill
367
00:28:08,654 --> 00:28:12,056
was shot before the scene of the fire
at the bandits' fortress.
368
00:28:12,224 --> 00:28:14,921
The key point was
fo capture the roaring flames
369
00:28:15,093 --> 00:28:18,529
in the background of the action
taking place, but it didn't go smoothly.
370
00:28:18,697 --> 00:28:21,632
Where's the Old Man
and your husband?
371
00:28:31,510 --> 00:28:34,377
Yoshiro Muraki, who was then
an assistant in production design,
372
00:28:34,546 --> 00:28:37,379
remembers shooting the scene.
373
00:28:38,850 --> 00:28:42,047
When working with Kurosawa,
YOSHIRO MURAKI — PRODUCTION DESIGNER
374
00:28:42,221 --> 00:28:43,916
people try to be super-efficient.
375
00:28:44,089 --> 00:28:46,683
We wrapped parts of the mill in fabric,
376
00:28:46,858 --> 00:28:49,054
so when we set the fire,
it flamed up at once.
377
00:28:51,063 --> 00:28:55,557
Then we extinguished the fire to continue
shooting on subsequent days.
378
00:28:55,734 --> 00:28:59,102
The mill was soggy from then on
and wouldn't burn. It only smoked.
379
00:28:59,705 --> 00:29:01,264
We were in trouble.
380
00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:03,340
But in such a situation,
381
00:29:03,508 --> 00:29:06,808
Kurosawa never scolded
the props crew.
382
00:29:06,979 --> 00:29:08,913
That was his tactic.
383
00:29:09,081 --> 00:29:12,312
He'd line the assistant directors up
in front of everyone
384
00:29:12,484 --> 00:29:15,454
and lecture them
about being more alert.
385
00:29:15,621 --> 00:29:18,556
Hearing this, the props crew
would feel terrible.
386
00:29:18,724 --> 00:29:23,525
Later that evening, Kurosawa would drink
with the ADs to soothe their feelings.
387
00:29:23,695 --> 00:29:28,326
When he lectured the crew,
he'd point his finger like this and bark,
388
00:29:28,500 --> 00:29:32,027
as if scolding
those furthest in the back.
389
00:29:33,105 --> 00:29:37,633
So I felt that his directing
was not limited to actual shooting.
390
00:29:37,809 --> 00:29:40,471
He applied it elsewhere too.
391
00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:44,047
The mill was rebuilt three times,
392
00:29:44,216 --> 00:29:46,207
and the scene was finally completed.
393
00:29:46,418 --> 00:29:48,443
This is just what happened to me.
394
00:29:49,187 --> 00:29:54,284
TRAGEDY AT
THE BANDITS' FORTRESS
395
00:29:55,093 --> 00:29:58,188
In the scene of a surprise attack
at the bandits' fortress,
396
00:29:58,363 --> 00:30:02,027
as the fortress
Is engulfed in panic,
397
00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,397
Rikichi encounters his wife,
who had been sacrificed to the bandits,
398
00:30:05,570 --> 00:30:08,198
as narrated in the script.
399
00:30:09,908 --> 00:30:13,845
The fire at the fortress
was to start slowly.
400
00:30:14,579 --> 00:30:18,641
However, the fire grew
much more quickly than expected.
401
00:30:42,207 --> 00:30:44,938
That day, we had a dry-air alert
YOSHIO TSUCHIYA — ACTOR
402
00:30:45,110 --> 00:30:49,445
and needed a fire truck standing by
to shoot a fire scene.
403
00:30:50,382 --> 00:30:54,580
But all fire trucks had been
dispatched that morning.
404
00:30:54,753 --> 00:30:56,448
To put out real fires.
405
00:30:56,621 --> 00:30:58,487
So none came to the set.
406
00:30:58,657 --> 00:31:02,616
We had to wait
a very long time.
407
00:31:02,794 --> 00:31:09,666
Finally, when it was almost dusk,
about seven fire trucks arrived.
408
00:31:09,835 --> 00:31:12,805
Even back then,
you couldn't shoot a fire scene
409
00:31:12,971 --> 00:31:15,941
without a fire truck standing by.
410
00:31:16,108 --> 00:31:19,669
And all that time spent waiting
led to trouble.
411
00:31:19,845 --> 00:31:25,784
Because while we,
meaning the actors,
412
00:31:26,017 --> 00:31:28,281
Just waited patiently
for the fire trucks,
413
00:31:28,453 --> 00:31:32,185
Kurosawa
and props master Hamamura
414
00:31:32,357 --> 00:31:34,758
used the extra time to make sure
415
00:31:35,093 --> 00:31:38,927
that they'd have no problem
starting the fire
416
00:31:39,097 --> 00:31:41,065
by spraying
a little gasoline here and there.
417
00:31:41,233 --> 00:31:44,134
So when the shooting
finally began,
418
00:31:44,302 --> 00:31:49,103
and I set the fire,
as I was supposed to,
419
00:31:49,274 --> 00:31:53,108
it just burst into flames!
420
00:31:54,246 --> 00:31:57,307
Since the shoot involved burning
the huge fortress set,
421
00:31:57,482 --> 00:31:59,814
there was no chance
fo do a retake.
422
00:31:59,985 --> 00:32:02,852
Kurosawa's repeated shout
of ‘Keep going!”
423
00:32:03,021 --> 00:32:05,956
rang throughout the set,
424
00:32:06,124 --> 00:32:08,388
as the actors continued
to play their parts.
425
00:32:18,470 --> 00:32:20,598
Serves you right!
426
00:32:21,039 --> 00:32:22,905
We did it!
427
00:32:24,976 --> 00:32:29,470
The cliff behind the fortress
was built of sheets of tin,
428
00:32:29,648 --> 00:32:34,142
and the grass behind the cliff
was burnt from the heat of the fire.
429
00:32:41,226 --> 00:32:45,459
As Rikichi, played by Tsuchiya, tries
fo run after his wife, an incident occurs.
430
00:32:50,001 --> 00:32:53,699
The overgarment that Rikichi's wife
wore cost several million yen.
431
00:32:53,872 --> 00:32:57,137
She takes it off, drops it,
and then runs away.
432
00:32:57,309 --> 00:33:02,304
As I reacted and tried to run after her,
there was no flame nearby,
433
00:33:02,481 --> 00:33:07,317
but the overgarment
just disintegrated
434
00:33:07,486 --> 00:33:09,386
and burned up in an instant.
435
00:33:14,593 --> 00:33:17,494
The hot air attacks Tsuchiya.
436
00:33:24,035 --> 00:33:28,836
I didn't tell anyone,
but I got burned here, on the windpipe.
437
00:33:29,007 --> 00:33:30,600
From inhaling the hot blast?
438
00:33:30,775 --> 00:33:34,871
Because the air,
which is hotter than the flames —
439
00:33:35,046 --> 00:33:39,313
I remember it well.
The fortress's roof was intact
440
00:33:39,484 --> 00:33:42,681
while my wife
was still in the scene,
441
00:33:43,321 --> 00:33:46,256
though it was already very hot.
442
00:33:46,424 --> 00:33:51,157
But after she ran away,
I had to continue acting.
443
00:33:51,329 --> 00:33:54,492
Just as I was about
to run after her,
444
00:33:54,666 --> 00:33:57,158
a huge hole opened up above
and the roof caved in.
445
00:33:58,036 --> 00:34:03,600
Then this hot air rushed out
toward the entrance, where I was.
446
00:34:05,644 --> 00:34:09,740
Even so, Tsuchiya tries
fo enter the fortress,
447
00:34:09,915 --> 00:34:12,407
but the intense heat
blocks his way.
448
00:34:19,157 --> 00:34:23,526
When I saw the rushes later,
the horses were all gone.
449
00:34:23,695 --> 00:34:25,925
Yes, the horse in the foreground
ran away.
450
00:34:26,097 --> 00:34:29,533
And actors playing slain bandits...
451
00:34:30,936 --> 00:34:34,304
were wiggling away like this,
like maggots.
452
00:34:34,773 --> 00:34:38,334
Trying to stop Rikichi
from following his wife,
453
00:34:38,510 --> 00:34:40,274
Heihachi, played by Minoru Chiaki,
454
00:34:40,445 --> 00:34:43,779
Is felled by a gunshot and dies.
455
00:34:43,949 --> 00:34:47,078
Chiaki didn't come to stop me.
456
00:34:47,686 --> 00:34:50,121
I was making as if to run in,
but he didn't come.
457
00:34:50,288 --> 00:34:53,690
If he didn't stop you,
you'd really have to go in.
458
00:34:53,858 --> 00:34:56,350
I'd really have to go
into the burning fortress.
459
00:34:56,528 --> 00:35:00,192
There was no way I could.
I remember thinking that.
460
00:35:00,365 --> 00:35:06,099
Later, I spotted Chiaki in the rushes
of shots taken with a long lens.
461
00:35:07,305 --> 00:35:12,573
At a spot quite far
from the fortress's entrance,
462
00:35:13,445 --> 00:35:17,279
he was lying on the ground
as though he'd been shot dead.
463
00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:25,657
The sequence involving the two actors
was later reshot and inserteq,
464
00:35:25,824 --> 00:35:29,385
but it was impossible to reshoot
shots including the entire fortress.
465
00:35:40,939 --> 00:35:42,839
What the hell are you doing?
466
00:35:47,779 --> 00:35:51,875
As Kurosawa shouted “Cut!”
fire trucks began hosing down the fire.
467
00:35:52,050 --> 00:35:56,783
In the midst of all the confusion,
Kurosawa stood alone and cried,
468
00:35:56,955 --> 00:35:59,947
having finished a very risky
and dangerous shoot.
469
00:36:00,558 --> 00:36:05,724
THE TRUTH BEHIND
THE BATTLE IN THE RAIN
470
00:36:07,766 --> 00:36:12,328
The night before the final battle,
the rain tums into a downpour,
471
00:36:12,504 --> 00:36:17,101
and this serves as a prologue
fo the legendary battle scene in the rain.
472
00:36:41,766 --> 00:36:45,134
To simulate the start of rainfall,
KOICHI HAMAMURA — SET DECORATOR
473
00:36:45,303 --> 00:36:47,499
I made a gadget,
which I ended up not using.
474
00:36:47,672 --> 00:36:51,267
It was a rotary unit with an umbrella top.
475
00:36:51,443 --> 00:36:53,502
I experimented with it,
476
00:36:53,678 --> 00:36:57,581
but it was later decided to just
sprinkle water with bamboo leaves.
477
00:36:58,083 --> 00:37:03,283
But for close-up shots, we used
syringes as well as bamboo leaves.
478
00:37:15,734 --> 00:37:17,429
There are 13 left.
479
00:37:18,837 --> 00:37:22,569
We'll let them all in.
480
00:37:24,375 --> 00:37:26,571
Once they pass this point,
481
00:37:27,312 --> 00:37:30,942
we close in from all sides
at the crossing.
482
00:37:34,152 --> 00:37:37,952
Everything's riding on this battle!
483
00:37:39,724 --> 00:37:43,991
Teruyo Nogami, script supervisor
at the time, kept her copy of the script.
484
00:37:54,105 --> 00:37:59,441
The pages of the battle scene
are covered with notes,
485
00:37:59,978 --> 00:38:03,209
nearly obliterating the printed lines.
486
00:38:12,791 --> 00:38:16,659
She even had to add
an extra sheet for her notes.
487
00:38:18,897 --> 00:38:21,696
This surprises everyone.
TERUYO NOGAMI — SCRIPT SUPERVISOR
488
00:38:21,866 --> 00:38:25,359
I like to show people,
because they're always surprised.
489
00:38:25,770 --> 00:38:30,469
It's well known that the shoot
went on longer than scheduled.
490
00:38:30,642 --> 00:38:36,240
It was supposed to wrap in three months,
but that stretched into a year.
491
00:38:36,414 --> 00:38:39,782
I heard that Daisuke Kato felt lucky
492
00:38:39,951 --> 00:38:42,249
to be shooting a film
in the middle of summer
493
00:38:42,420 --> 00:38:45,583
and wearing very light clothing,
which meant very little sweating.
494
00:38:45,757 --> 00:38:48,192
Then there they were,
shooting in February.
495
00:38:48,359 --> 00:38:50,225
Mifune suffered the most.
496
00:38:50,395 --> 00:38:52,864
- He was nearly naked.
- That's right.
497
00:38:53,031 --> 00:38:56,934
And in the February cold,
498
00:38:57,101 --> 00:39:00,264
the ground was wet for the battle scene,
so the actors' feet were in this cold mud.
499
00:39:00,438 --> 00:39:03,339
They had to run around
wearing straw sandals,
500
00:39:03,508 --> 00:39:06,000
and the sandals absorbed water.
501
00:39:06,177 --> 00:39:09,044
Mifune said the sandals
became unbelievably cold.
502
00:39:09,214 --> 00:39:11,148
It's amazing he endured all that.
503
00:39:11,316 --> 00:39:15,310
He told me, “I could do it because
I was young, but I couldn't anymore.”
504
00:39:15,486 --> 00:39:18,285
Kurosawa himself said,
505
00:39:18,456 --> 00:39:22,654
“I couldn't do that again
even if you begged me to.”
506
00:39:26,497 --> 00:39:28,659
Kikuchiyo, what are you up to?
507
00:39:28,833 --> 00:39:31,131
I can't Kill five
with just one blade.
508
00:39:36,374 --> 00:39:39,935
Then, heavy snow fell right before
the shooting of the battle scene,
509
00:39:40,111 --> 00:39:43,706
and the snow had
fo be watered down to melt it.
510
00:39:46,684 --> 00:39:50,348
When water saturates the ground,
you get mud,
511
00:39:50,521 --> 00:39:55,186
a heavy, sticky kind of mud.
- Slushy and squishy.
512
00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:59,820
I noticed that Kurosawa looked
very happy seeing the muddy ground.
513
00:40:00,765 --> 00:40:03,393
I thought, “You don't have to act
in this muck.”
514
00:40:04,903 --> 00:40:07,304
The person
in charge of the rain effect
515
00:40:07,472 --> 00:40:10,464
was the man who can make rain
with one thumb,
516
00:40:10,642 --> 00:40:14,636
props master Koichi Hamamura,
known as Hama-chan.
517
00:40:15,780 --> 00:40:18,875
When shooting on an open set,
wind becomes a factor.
518
00:40:19,050 --> 00:40:21,314
It can cause the simulated rain
to slant a little.
519
00:40:21,486 --> 00:40:23,978
Then Kurosawa would complain
that there was too much mist.
520
00:40:24,155 --> 00:40:26,283
I dreaded that the most.
521
00:40:26,891 --> 00:40:28,950
How many water trucks did you use?
522
00:40:29,127 --> 00:40:32,495
I think about seven regular-size ones.
523
00:40:33,698 --> 00:40:37,726
Before shooting began,
the ground had turned to mud.
524
00:40:37,902 --> 00:40:41,338
It wasn't just humans
who had to endure difficulties.
525
00:40:44,208 --> 00:40:48,008
The horses had it hard too. They were
were spread across different locations,
526
00:40:48,179 --> 00:40:52,480
and we had to use makeup
on them for continuity.
527
00:40:53,651 --> 00:40:57,554
Village scenes were shot
in five different locations.
528
00:40:58,690 --> 00:41:03,093
Transporting horses posed a challenge,
since each location had its own horses.
529
00:41:04,562 --> 00:41:10,092
So Hamamura applied makeup fo
the horses to simulate the white markings.
530
00:41:13,171 --> 00:41:16,801
The supposedly same horse could look
different from one location to another.
531
00:41:16,975 --> 00:41:20,275
That's right.
So I'd paint the muzzle white.
532
00:41:20,445 --> 00:41:22,971
But the rain would wash off
the makeup.
533
00:41:23,147 --> 00:41:26,549
With the makeup gone,
the horse would look different.
534
00:41:26,718 --> 00:41:29,187
Sometimes that happened.
535
00:41:31,589 --> 00:41:33,853
The battle scene in the rain
was conceived
536
00:41:34,025 --> 00:41:37,723
as a result of Kurosawa's ambition
fo create something unachievable
537
00:41:37,895 --> 00:41:40,660
by Hollywood's rain machines
in its dry climate.
538
00:41:45,336 --> 00:41:48,135
Mifune was wearing armor,
and it was raining,
539
00:41:48,306 --> 00:41:51,936
so when he moved like this,
his armor reflected the light.
540
00:41:52,110 --> 00:41:57,105
On occasion,
when horses faced the camera,
541
00:41:57,281 --> 00:41:59,511
light had to be captured
in their eyes too.
542
00:41:59,684 --> 00:42:03,882
I think Kurosawa played up
those effects.
543
00:42:04,055 --> 00:42:06,422
How did you record sounds back then?
544
00:42:06,591 --> 00:42:12,394
We only had four tracks to work with.
ICHIRO MINAWA — SOUND EFFECTS
545
00:42:12,563 --> 00:42:14,861
Dialogue would take up one track.
546
00:42:15,033 --> 00:42:18,230
Dialogue called “FD”
would take up another.
547
00:42:18,403 --> 00:42:21,998
Then we'd only have two tracks left.
- What is FD?
548
00:42:22,173 --> 00:42:27,407
FD is overlapping dialogue —
549
00:42:27,578 --> 00:42:31,640
Overlapping dialogue
of many people in the background.
550
00:42:31,816 --> 00:42:35,309
We'd need one track for that,
because it needs to match the action.
551
00:42:35,753 --> 00:42:39,781
So we'd be left with only two tracks
fo record all other sound effects.
552
00:42:40,158 --> 00:42:43,321
For Seven Samurai, we did things
that sound stupid now.
553
00:42:43,494 --> 00:42:47,055
When someone falls from a horse
to the wet ground,
554
00:42:47,231 --> 00:42:49,700
we'd need a sloshing sound.
555
00:42:49,867 --> 00:42:53,497
If one track was dedicated to that,
then we couldn't record other sounds.
556
00:42:53,671 --> 00:42:56,368
So we decided
to employ foley effects.
557
00:42:56,541 --> 00:43:01,001
In the sound recording room,
we had a tub set up.
558
00:43:01,179 --> 00:43:05,639
It was about three feet by six feet
and about this tall,
559
00:43:06,584 --> 00:43:08,678
made of wood.
560
00:43:08,853 --> 00:43:13,689
We filled the bottom
with a muddy mixture.
561
00:43:13,858 --> 00:43:17,453
We had an assistant in the tub
stomping his feet
562
00:43:17,628 --> 00:43:19,687
in sync to the falling action.
563
00:43:19,864 --> 00:43:24,426
It was winter when we were recording
these sound effects.
564
00:43:24,602 --> 00:43:27,230
When the timing was perfect,
the foley sound wasn't good.
565
00:43:27,405 --> 00:43:29,772
And when the foley went well,
the timing was off.
566
00:43:29,941 --> 00:43:32,876
So the assistant had to make
repeated efforts,
567
00:43:33,044 --> 00:43:36,446
and as he got frustrated,
he splashed a lot of mud on the screen.
568
00:43:36,614 --> 00:43:39,640
We were soundly scolded
for the mess later.
569
00:43:39,817 --> 00:43:43,515
Also, for the sound
of a horse's whinny,
570
00:43:43,688 --> 00:43:49,092
you can't use a relaxed whinny
like this for battle scenes.
571
00:43:49,260 --> 00:43:52,230
I wanted something
that sounded nervous like this.
572
00:43:52,396 --> 00:43:56,663
So we separated the male horses
from the female horses for a while
573
00:43:56,834 --> 00:44:00,270
so that when they were brought
together, they'd be in heat,
574
00:44:00,438 --> 00:44:05,774
and the male horses neighed like this,
so I made a lot of recordings of that.
575
00:44:05,943 --> 00:44:08,378
I used a great deal
of the recordings.
576
00:44:14,919 --> 00:44:18,355
So what you hear in the battle scene
are not the actual neighs,
577
00:44:18,523 --> 00:44:23,017
but those uttered by male horses
toward the females.
578
00:44:23,194 --> 00:44:27,893
I've used those recordings for later films
such as Kagemusha
579
00:44:28,065 --> 00:44:33,367
when a battle scene required them.
580
00:44:33,538 --> 00:44:36,337
For which film
did you make them initially?
581
00:44:36,507 --> 00:44:39,602
I think it was for Seven Samurai.
582
00:44:40,745 --> 00:44:45,979
Using multiple cameras to shoot
scenes that could not be reshot
583
00:44:46,150 --> 00:44:48,209
Is called a multicamera setup.
584
00:44:48,352 --> 00:44:52,687
Considered the key element that gives
Kurosawa's films their dynamic quality,
585
00:44:52,857 --> 00:44:56,088
the technique was an innovation
created on this film.
586
00:45:08,139 --> 00:45:09,334
We did it!
587
00:45:09,507 --> 00:45:11,441
In the battle scene,
588
00:45:11,609 --> 00:45:16,376
when men on horses
and farmers armed with bamboo spears
589
00:45:16,547 --> 00:45:18,709
are mixed together
in the confusion of battle,
590
00:45:18,883 --> 00:45:22,877
you'd come up with shots
that are unimaginable.
591
00:45:23,955 --> 00:45:28,449
I couldn't believe no one
actually died shooting that scene.
592
00:45:31,896 --> 00:45:35,127
When vivid shots
captured by three cameras
593
00:45:35,299 --> 00:45:37,768
were connected
as sequential action,
594
00:45:37,935 --> 00:45:41,872
the result was a scene infused
with the utmost intensity and speed.
595
00:45:56,621 --> 00:45:59,613
We'd go through the motions
for test shots.
596
00:45:59,790 --> 00:46:03,886
You'd do that several times
for a Kurosawa film.
597
00:46:04,061 --> 00:46:09,659
Eventually he'd say,
“Cut! Now let's do a real take.”
598
00:46:09,834 --> 00:46:14,101
Well, our feet got stuck in the mud,
and we couldn't move.
599
00:46:14,272 --> 00:46:19,301
But once the take began,
everyone ran around like lightning.
600
00:46:20,544 --> 00:46:24,481
I guess some inner reserve
came through.
601
00:46:26,751 --> 00:46:30,449
Fighting to maintain their balance,
actors ran all around...
602
00:46:33,124 --> 00:46:37,789
and Kurosawa himself stood
in the mud as he watched them.
603
00:46:42,066 --> 00:46:46,799
Water turned to mud,
but it quickly froze.
604
00:46:46,971 --> 00:46:48,598
So it was that cold.
605
00:46:48,773 --> 00:46:51,765
Yes, but he stood in it
the whole time.
606
00:46:51,942 --> 00:46:57,039
His feet got frostbitten,
and some of his toenails decayed.
607
00:46:57,982 --> 00:47:00,144
Lasting for almost six minutes,
608
00:47:00,318 --> 00:47:06,052
the ferocious battle scene
in the rain finally comes to an end.
609
00:47:25,810 --> 00:47:28,745
Once more we survive.
610
00:47:37,421 --> 00:47:40,914
A source of legends and legacy,
611
00:47:41,092 --> 00:47:45,552
the filming of Seven Samurai
wrapped on March 18, 1954.
612
00:47:50,134 --> 00:47:54,935
I feel like the first era
in cinema has ended,
613
00:47:55,106 --> 00:48:01,637
and I think it ended
with Kurosawa's death.
614
00:48:02,246 --> 00:48:05,375
Now, as the second era begins,
615
00:48:05,549 --> 00:48:11,113
it seems to me that it'll be
some time before it begins to blossom.
616
00:48:11,589 --> 00:48:15,924
I'm talking about quality movies,
not only in Japan but all over the world.
617
00:48:16,093 --> 00:48:21,930
Kurosawa's death may have had
that great an impact.
618
00:48:23,000 --> 00:48:26,402
Although 100 years have passed
since the birth of cinema,
619
00:48:26,570 --> 00:48:29,267
there was no one
like Kurosawa before him,
620
00:48:29,440 --> 00:48:34,537
and there's no one that comes close
to Kurosawa after him either.
621
00:48:36,180 --> 00:48:40,742
Seven Samurai /s one of the most
representative films of the 20th century.
622
00:48:40,918 --> 00:48:43,751
The joy and thrill of cinema
that it embodies
623
00:48:43,921 --> 00:48:46,652
will never cease to impress us.
54265
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