Scene analysis

For some reason blogger added a highligter to some of the post so that it was whited out. In an attempt to FIX it, I highlighted EVERYTHING. So please pardon the obnoxious blocks of text.

I decided to pick the final battle scene from "Seven Samurai" because of the inherent value I saw in it as a climax of the film. I will discuss the inherent symbolism as well as character development as well as analysis of specific scenes which will be illustrated with screenshots, although I admit, to truly appreciate Kurosawa's work seeing the piece in motion is almost a necessity. Screenshots hardly do the brilliant movement of the camera and the performance of the actors any justice. I have chosen 15 different screenshots of moments I consider to have the most depth and to be the most pivotal to the film itself.

I've obsessed over this one scene in this film because of it's brilliance. Truly, I cannot get over how perfectly this one scene represents not only the movie, but the role and life of the samurai as a whole while also speaking to the duties of an emperor in times past which is given a sort of ironic meaning because of the fact that Kikuchiyo was born into the lowly status of a farmer himself, yet the Samurai jokingly refer to him as "Kikuchiyo" and refer to him as "the emperor" in a joking context. However, his setting up the 6 swords and wielding the seventh is extremely symbolic. The soul of the samurai is symbolized by his sword and is of the utmost importance. The fact that Kikychiyo sets up these swords in order to merely use them as tools until they break is not so different from an emperor sending his samurai into battle to die for a cause that he deems worthy. However, since Kikuchiyo was at some point a farmer, it also is symbolic of the idea that perhaps the farmers are using the samurai just an an emperor would have. They manipulated them and at times withheld information from them, which still brings up the question, were the Samurai truly helping the farmers, or were they being used? This idea of queuing swords is also quite an unorthodox idea and notably Musashi was credited with using unorthodox strategies in his duels, but more on that later. Even in the screenshot itself, we can see a sort of distance between Kikuchiyo and Shichirōji, where Shichirōji is off to the left, unobscured and open to the viewer, while Kikuchiyo is obscured by the other 6 swords, which has a sort of duality. He was eclipsed by these "genuine" samurai/ronin because of his birth, but because of his name and what he ironically represents, it also is a way of showing that he is protected by these swords which are symbolic of the samurai, yet he himself is "smaller" than Shichirōji. While this is in fact just a difference in distance, the lens used distorts this and they appear to be on the same plane, only Kikuchiyo is much smaller than Shichirōji, possibly representing perceived status.

There is yet even more significance to his character because he carries a seemingly oversized sword, which has more implications than one. One interesting interpretation is that it represents how the Samurai have always been "bigger" than he has, with Kikuchiyo having been a farmer who was considered far beneath the samurai in times past. It could also show that Kikuchiyo is mismatched, or in over his head based on how large the sword is compared to his stature. 

HOWEVER, I personally see connections to the legendary swordsman Sasaki Kojirō who fell to the legendary Miyamoto Musashi. His sword, "The drying pole" or "Monohoshizao" was a massively oversize nodachi. Reportedly, it's blade length was over 90 cm as opposed to a more typical katana, which would have had a blade length of roughly 70 cm. Such a long sword would normally be unwieldly, but for Kojirō, it was hardly an issue him having pioneered a technique known as the "swallow cut." Now, where the hell am I going with this? Well, accounts of that battle hypothesized that Kojirō had a broken rib and a punctured lung which eventually led to his death. I can't help but note that Kikuchiyo's fatal injury was very similar to this. To further compare,  his rage when he charged into battle after Miyaguchi fall to a gunshot was very similar to the supposed accounts of Kojirō charging recklessly into battle with Musashi after Musashi showed up late (on purpose) to their duel. In both cases, blind rage led to their deaths. While Kikuchiyo was not a swordsman of legendary status, his achievements nearing the end of the film before his death were quite incredible. He himself feels like such an important character because he simultaneously evokes similarities to so many other class roles and persons in history. 

I also can't overlook the subtle beauty of the ambient sounds created by the rain falling, it really sets the tone for the coming battle. It's slightly unnerving and almost irritating and helps create tension, but once the battle actually begins, once the bandits charge in this noise is drowned out by the sounds of battle and quickly shifts to a focus on action. I also greatly appreciate the fact that there is no overtly dramatic score at the point. The sounds alone do the job of depicting the battle and what might be felt during it.

When Kikuchiyo breaks his sword, he tosses it away and grabs another one. The integrity and strength of a sword could be likened to the strength of one's resolve as well as wealth and status. The best katanas were forged by master swordsmiths and their strength is something of legend. While guarding was uncommon, a truly great sword could shatter a lesser one and a well made sword would have had a hamon line, or a difference in hardness to allow for only a small segment of the sword to break or shatter if exposed to harsh impacts. I felt that the brittleness of the swords being used spoke to the fact that these were not wealthy samurai, they were a rag tag band of ronin (except Okamoto who seems to have come from some wealth.). Even the shot composition is symbolic of perceived status. Kikuchiyo takes up the same area as 6 swords in the dirt almost symbolizing the fact that in older times, an emperor would be "worth" many more lives than anyone else, so sacrifices and losses for his preservation were "acceptable." By this time however, samurai were getting by however they could and would often be "used" for any sort of task, some perhaps to which they were unsuitable which is something Kikuchiyo's reckless swordsmanship is representative of.

It felt almost random that the bandits passed by the cemetery, but since nothing in a film is truly "random," it was obviously there for a reason. While the scene itself was short, I do feel that it held some significance. The darkness and gloomy appearance of the scene as well as the prominence of the bandits in the foreground made it seem like they were in a sense "desecrating" the dead. as they trampled in front of the cemetery. However, we can also see the swords of the fallen in the grave mounds as well, perhaps signifying that the fallen samurai are there in spirit because of how foggy and ghostly the cemetery actually is in this shot. Then again, in the film the point of focus is the bandits, so perhaps it was a way of saying that the living overshadow the dead despite noble intentions or status merely because they are still alive or "in the foreground." 

Throughout the battle itself, the constant movement of the camera and the actors gives this battle a sort of chaotic and gritty feel. It doesn't feel "perfect" it feels natural. When you combine this with certain sections that feel like they may have been over cranked (about 3:10-3:29ish feels like it may have been. Also remember the inherent danger of the situation in which they were filming.) it gives the film a hectic and jumpy feel, derailing any sense of "smoothness" or fluidity of motion. It captures the imperfections of combat and the hastiness of it. It reinforces the fact that this isn't a duel between two samurai where technique will always win, this is a chaotic battle where technique may not necessarily be preserved out of fear, anxiety or just an inopportune environment.

These three shots comprise the loss of innocence experienced by Okamoto, as well as a sort of realization that this was what it meant to be a Samurai. He hadn't actually killed anyone previously and was coddled like a child. It was almost as though Shimada wanted to help Okamoto retain his innocence because he knew that Okamoto came from a well off family. The scene progresses so beautifully. Okamoto chases down a fleeing bandit before stabbing him in the back, killing him. The realization washes over Okamoto who collapses to the ground. He has lost all innocence now, he is no longer a boy. Having known intimacy with a woman and having gotten his first kill, he is a man now with no more disillusions. It almost seems at though he realizes the weight and gravity of what he has done and the implications and unable to bear it any longer, he collapses into the mud almost in a state of disbelief, his sword falling into the mud, almost symbolic of his soul being dirtied and corrupted by his transition into manhood.

Just that fact that Miyaguchi, a master swordsman is killed by gunfire is tragic and truly signifies the end of an era where the samurai were all powerful. Guns had evened the playing field and a master swordsman could be easily killed by an inexperienced bandit with a lucky shot. After Miyaguchi is shot, he turns towards where the shot came from and throws his sword offscreen. This can be read as a last ditch attempt to kill his attacker, keeping in line with his pride as a Samurai, but could also be symbolic of pure ire and frustration as he realizes he was defeated by a gun, which would hardly be considered an "honorable warrior's death." He was not bested in a duel, but merely bested by a lucky shot. When he throws away his sword, he gives up his very soul as he dies in the mud before being carried off. This truly signifies that the age of the samurai has passed. Their power is waning and fading and they are no longer "invincible warriors." They are very human, and most now are masterless ronin The sheer hopelessness for the future of the samurai class is epitomized in this scene because the truest embodiment of what it meant to be a samurai, Miyaguchi, falls to something he cannot even see, an object rather than an opponent. This devastates Okamoto because of how much he looked up to Miyaguchi for his prowess with a sword. Okamoto lost his idol, who suffered a pitiful and fairly ironic death considering he had risked his life previously to obtain a gun for the samurai and had bested the gunman previously.This in turn enrages Kikuchiyo who recklessly pursues the gunman who happens to be the bandit leader.

Kikuchiyo's fatal wound truly does remind me of the legend of the duel between Musashi and Kojirō in both cause and reason. 

The amazing camerawork of Kikuchiyo approaching the bandit leader before slaying him portrays "breaking free" of his previous trappings/imprisonment as the "joker wannabe samurai" of the group and his sacrifice cements his place with the samurai, evidenced by his burial site at the end of the film. It was a microcosm of his life. He was shot down, symbolic of his early childhood described in his outburst when he recounts his own childhood when he holds the baby after it's mother had died. He runs into the house and it almost looks like a prison. One that he entered of his own volition. He had trapped himself in that house just as he had trapped himself in a sort of samurai purgatory where he was not a true samurai nor ronin, but he was also no longer a farmer in his own eyes. His pursuit of the bandit leader was filled with emotion and that bandit leader could be a symbol of the samurai considering how bandits and samurai are compared at times. The samurai were no better than the bandits, except they had "the law" on their side so their actions were just despite them being associated with rape and pillage just as bandits are. Kikuchiyo does still seem to harbor some dislike of samurai with the way he sympathizes towards the farmers, so I see this segment as him trying to somehow get back at the samurai by some means that he may not yet be entirely certain of. Then when he finally leaves the hut, he breaks free of the prison and his trappings as he kills the bandit leader before he collapses on the ground. He collapsed covered in mud, but the rain cleaned his body and I can liken that to his soul being "cleansed" and he can finally die honorably as a member of the samurai class. He had finally proven himself in death after escaping his former trappings. The camera lingers to let this really sink in and emphasize his body being washed free of dirt and mud because of what it symbolizes.

More a critique of the camerawork, this last shot of the battle re-emphasizes the fact that Okamoto is no longer a child now as the hectic camera frantically pans around looking for something, but nothing is left to be found as the camera follows Okamoto to the ground with the gleam of his sword almost consuming the shot. The contrast really draws the eye to the sword and the angle leads right to Okamoto himself. Notably in this screenshot, he almost looks as though he is about to commit or has already committed seppuku, a ritual form of suicide reserved for the samurai. I suppose that in a sense though, he has. The old Okamoto is dead. He can never regain his lost innocence and will now wander as a man with all the responsibility that comes with it.

Notably, this shot to the left reminds me of the later practice where samurai committing seppuku were allowed to have a trusted friend or ally decapitate them afterwords because death by disembowelment was excruciating and could take hours. This screenshot looks almost exactly like that. I suppose in some way, Shimada's implied future guidance of Okamoto is a form of mercy.

Then we see the banner violently flapping in the storm after the battle had concluded. The banner itself points to the heavens and the angle of the hut draws the eye upward as the ambiance of the soundtrack makes the viewer question whether there are any true victors in battle. It signifies the lives lost as well as the battle that was won. The banner was a representation of the samurai who lost their lives and were the main participants of the battle protecting the farmers, which makes the placement of the banner itself interesting because of how it is exposed entirely to the elements and open for all to see, yet it offers nothing to the hut which would have weathered the storm regardless. It almost feels like it is signifying that these farmers would have been able to get along without the samurai as we had seen previously when we learned that they secretly stashed reserves of everything. The shot fades to black and the sound of the rain dies out before being met with the contrast of a celebration of the rice planting which likely happened several months later.

I guess it's mandatory that I also just watch the scene and describe what exactly is happening, so that part goes here.

The first shot from this clip of Seven Samurai: A man with his back turned towards the camera stands erect as though awaiting something or standing guard amidst the ambiance provided by the sound of raindrops at about a medium to medium long shot. In the distance we can make out some faint wooden structures obscured by the rain. From offscreen something comes into view. An offscreen arm begins thrusting swords into the earth, 6 in total before the camera pans to him and we see a man clad in armor, but very little else looking slightly disheveled. The man who previously had his back turned comes to investigate. They speak and walk off before a cut to a group of men huddled together holding bamboo spears. Three men are in the background facing towards these huddled men. One turns and begins to speak as though rallying the men in the foreground. He points his sword to the left of the screen. Tension mounts as they look to the distance, offscreen to the right. There is then a cut and we are suddenly viewing a forest through some trees. Men on horseback ride past as the camera pans to keep them in view. The sounds of galloping becomes more prominent. The riders all wield swords. We then cut again back to a man in armor and little else with 6 swords out of focus in the foreground stabbed into the earth. The man runs and begins shouting. Cut to a man hidden behind some rocks as a group of men on horseback ride past him. The camera pans to keep them in view.

We then cut to a man wielding a sword. He runs out and several men behind him follow in a fairly long shot. We cut and see men on horseback riding towards the camera. They are attacked by the man in armor and by the men with spears. The man in armor swings at the horsemen and breaks his sword in the process. he throws it before collecting another from his collection that he had earlier stabbed into the ground.

The horsemen ride past a foggy background which appears to be a burial site. The shot is brief and followed by a cut to a shot of the horsemen chasing the man in armor and the spear wielders. The shot pans to a man with a bow and arrow who is obviously drenched with rain. He effortlessly draws the bow and pulls the string back. A cut to the horsemen, who turn around quickly accompanied by the neighing of the horses. The camera cuts back to the man with the bow, he releases an arrow and a cut to the target falling off of his horse proceeds it. The same action takes place, only now it appears the camera has turned 180 degrees and is not facing the man's back as he shoots another horseman off of his horse.

The horses are spooked by a group of spear wielders and the horses run by the man in armor as he collects himself and gets off the ground. A man gets off of his horse running through the rain and proceeds to run towards some offscreen location. We cut to a single man on horseback galloping through a narrow enclosure with a fence in the foreground and huts to the left and right. Spear wielders chase him. The man on the horse flails his sword, but is pulled off of his horse and stabbed. 

We then cut to a man with a sword chasing down another man who appears to be fleeing. He tries to climb over a wall, but is stabbed by his pursuer. He falls and presumably dies in the mud. The sound of the rain is blocked out by his scream. The killer suddenly freezes, his head out of view of the shot. He collapses on the ground into the mud now with his whole figure in the frame. It appears to be a medium shot.

A sudden cut reveals a man with a spear stabbing at something offscreen to the right, he appears to be indoors at a medium to medium close shot. A sudden cut to a man attempting to crash through a wall proceeded by him crashing through that wall occurs after we see him being stabbed by the man with the spear. He collapses onto the ground out in the rain presumably dead.

Men come running out of a house into the rain and they look like they're in a panic. A sudden cut to the man who collapsed in the mud after chasing and killing someone. He looks almost towards the camera as someone shouts to him and quickly picks himself up and runs offscreen.

A large group of men wielding spears and swords run towards the camera kicking up all manner of mud and water as they charge. We have another cut to a group of women huddled behind some bars and we presume that they are indoors. The shot seems to track across and then leads right to a closeup of a man in a helmet looking displeased. He threatens the women and they all run from the camera towards the wall.

This is once again followed by a cut to men on horseback, but one falls off and gets caught on his horse. He is dragged through the mud, the camera is franticly panning all around and we see a man swinging a sword at a horseback rider. Someone falls into the mud. Cut. We have a pan where a man with a sword is running to the right through the water, suddenly the crack of a gun. He falls over in agony before turning to the left and throwing his sword offscreen. He is then carried away and we can see the man in armor darting over to the left side of the screen as the camera pans to follow him. A cut to the man reveals him being shot through a door before charging through. There is a tracking shot at medium distance. He approaches his assailant through the house and eventually stabs the man before succumbing to his wounds. He lies dead facedown as the rain cleans his body. There is a cut and the man who collapsed earlier frantically shouts and runs about, the camera keeping in step in a chaotic fashion. He then collapses into the mud crying and shouting. Two men in the back discuss how they have survived once more and then the camera cuts to a banner violently blowing in the wind on top of a hut. The rain pours down as the shot fades to black.