Seven Samurai - The Criterion Collection (4K-UHD)

One of the most thrilling movie epics of all time, Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire the eponymous war­riors to protect them from invading bandits. This three-hour-plus ride from Akira Kurosawa—featuring legendary actors Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura—seamlessly weaves philosophy and enter­tainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action, into a rich, evocative, and unforgettable tale of courage and hope.

• Japan
• 207 minutes
• Black & White
• 1.37:1 (4K UHD), 1.33:1
• Japanese
• Spine #2
• 1954

4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

- New 4K digital restoration, with the original uncompressed monaural soundtrack and an optional 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
- One 4K UHD disc of the film (in the aspect ratio of 1.37:1) and two Blu-rays with the film (in the aspect ratio of 1.33:1) and special features
- Two audio commentaries, one featuring film scholars David Desser, Joan Mellen, Stephen Prince, Tony Rayns, and Donald Richie, and the other Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck
- Making-of documentary, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
- My Life in Cinema (1993), a two-hour conversation between director Akira Kurosawa and filmmaker Nagisa Oshima
- “Seven Samurai”: Origins and Influences, a documentary looking at the samurai traditions and films that helped shape Kurosawa’s masterpiece
- Trailers and teaser
- Gallery of rare posters, behind-the-scenes photos, and production stills
- PLUS: Essays by Kenneth Turan, Peter Cowie, Philip Kemp, Peggy Chiao, Alain Silver, Stuart Galbraith IV, Arthur Penn, and Sidney Lumet, and an interview with actor Toshiro Mifune from 1993

*Cover by Neil Kellerhouse