Sacrifice, discipline, strength, military prowess, courage, and most importantly, undying virtue are all heroic qualities that are clear-cut and defined in a typical romanticized heroic epic. However, Akira Kurosawa’s samurai adventure epic Seven Samurai takes a more complex stance when it comes to identifying heroic qualities particularly from a moral standpoint. It exposes the conventional and unconventional, the complex and simple, and the dark and light side of heroic ethics. Through these paradoxical explorations, the film challenges the complex relationship between duty and moral obligation; probes into the contradictory definition of heroic strengths and weaknesses within the prescribed social standards of ethics; and explores the division line between good and evil in terms of its visibility as well as its invisibility. Along with the film’s oppositional thematic motifs and artistic aesthetics (i.e., cinematic codes or symbols that stem from movements, shots, editing rhythms, frames, and symbolic mise en scènes), Seven Samurai lives up to its philosophical, artistic, and intellectual merit. As a whole, it challenges heroic ethics and redefines heroism particularly in terms of good and evil, strength and weakness, and duty and inclination.
When it comes to heroic principles, obedience must supersede independence. In essence, heroic strength is demonstrated through the ability to work with the group. Kikuchiyo, the jokester, is the antithesis of this ideal. His selfish drive makes him weak in the eyes of his samurai peers. For instance, his insecurities about his farmer heritage and his desperate need to feel vindicated for his samurai status compel him to seek an independent route in order to gain heroic recognition. Without considering the protective welfare of his samurai peers, he leaves his post and goes off on his own battling expedition in order to steal a gun from one of the enemies. He succeeds but barely escapes. In consequence, he does not receive the anticipated praise from his leader, Kambie. Rather, he is chastised for defying orders and violating samurai ethics, that is, fighting as an individual during a war. Therefore, Kikuchyo’s selfish greed for heroic recognition and his contempt for his samurai peers and principles suggest heroic weakness.
In contrast, the conventions of heroic strength are exemplified through military prowess, stoicism, humility, and virtue. The expert swordsman, Kyuzo, is a true exemplification of this heroic prototype. He is described as a “complete professional . . . . He says very little, is closed, and—like his sword itself—only uses it when he needs to” (Richie 100). For instance, Kyuzo’s duel with one of the village people, which takes place during the beginning of the film, illustrates this concept. The duel is brief because Kyuzo refrains from killing his opponent. He is aware of his opponent’s raw swordsmanship skills and, therefore, decides to spare his life—an indication of his moral empathy. Later, he kills him only because his jealous and pride-stricken opponent goads him into dueling with him and not because he wishes to relish in his own expertise for the sake of vanity.
However, as Kyuzo carries out his duties as a samurai, his morality remains questionable, even though he is willing to demonstrate other well-known prototypal heroic characteristics. This is illustrated when he independently goes out on his own to steal the gun from the bandits. Kyuzo’s successful return is visually reinforced by his sudden emergence from the dense fog where the backlighting accentuates the contours of his body. This cinematic depiction makes him a majestic, god-like figure of military prowess. He appears without a scratch when he nonchalantly gives the gun to Kambei and tells him that he has killed two bandits. Moreover, his apathy for killing his opponents not only reiterates his expertise but also his ability to dehumanize his opponents. Thus, his unsympathetic attitude exudes a cold and unrelenting moral indifference. Because of this, it seems as if duty has exempted him from moral obligations.
Moreover, Kambei’s character demonstrates a contradiction behind his maintenance of samurai principles, thereby making him a dichotomy of strength and weakness when it comes to morals. For instance, he allows Kyuzo, the expert swordsman to independently venture out and battle. For a successful kill, Kambie is willing to bend the rules in spite of the fact he chastises Kikuchya for violating it. Such a contradiction poses a startling question: Is moral infallibility determined upon one’s loyalty to samurai ethics? For Kambie, he oscillates between the two oppositional extremities.
As for heroic virtue, it is demonstrated through courageous, sacrificial acts, which is exhibited by two samurai characters, Kikuchyo and Heihachi. Heihachi sacrifices his life in order to save his fellow samurai from going back inside the burning house to save his former wife. Therefore, he truly maintains one of the leading principles of samurai ethics: “the need, especially in battle, to subordinate one’s personal will to the common efforts of the group” (“Seven”). In essence, Heichachi’s heroism is driven by communal loyalty. He knows that it is imperative to preserve the lives of the seven samurai since forty bandits outnumber them in battle. As for Kikuchyo, he, too, embraces this same principle. During the final battle, he is able to avenge the death of his fellow samurai, Kyuzo, a man whom he has once envied because of his unprecedented military skills. During his act of vengeance, he is able to kill the last and most important bandit, the leader. Additionally, this heroic act has spared the lives of the remaining samurai but like most saviors, his life is sacrificed during the process.
The most poignant heroic depiction of self-sacrifice is illustrated in the scene where a dying mother hands her child to Kikuchyo. Kikuchyo, again, defies Kambei’s orders in regards to not leaving his post. However, his act of defiance is not prompted by his selfishness but his desire to help others. In the midst of battle, he risks his life by returning to the burning homes in order to save a young couple and a child. The village mother walks across the stream to hand her child to Kikuchyo who meets her halfway. Overwhelmed with emotions, Kikuchyo accepts the child and drops to his knees in the turbulent current. The composition of the mise en scène is emotionally symbolic. Attention is drawn to him as he is stationed in the foreground, whereas the burning windmill is in the background. The flames are out of control and so are Kikuchyo’s nostalgic emotions as he identifies with the child’s plight. This cathartic scene reveals heroic sacrifice motivated by his individual act of sympathy and selflessness and not by samurai principles.
Two cathartic scenes foreshadow the blurred division line between good and evil: the funeral scene of a fellow samurai and the planting of the samurai flag. This telescopic scene captures both cathartic moments simultaneously in a tightly dense frame. This visual effect also reiterates a thematic contradiction in regards to morals. Cinematic codes, “visual punctuation and visual trick effects, could immediately be separated for analysis” (Andrew 58). For instance, in the mise en scène, their flag stands proudly in the background while the samurai remain on the foreground solemnly watching it. The flag’s uniformed rows of circles symbolize each of the fighting samurai. The image itself is a sign of their communal defiance as well as their determination to win the battle against the bandits. It also reminds them of their own values (i.e., solidarity, perseverance, and determination) which they must keep in mind as they prepare for battle. In this composition, they are, paradoxically, both victims as well as avengers. This is reiterated in the funeral scene sequence. The camera cuts to a close-up shot of the flag and then to Kikuchiyo. This is followed by a point-of-view shot where the camera swiftly pans over the hill, which shows a band of bandits heralding away. Instantaneously, the mood changes from mournful to excitable determination. However, this communal determination that excites the samurai is morally disturbing as well. The samurai have reduced themselves to the same fighting barbarism of the bandits. After losing one of their men, they are overwhelmed with war angst. At this moment, their desire to fulfill their “moral” responsibility, that is, to protect and aid the oppressed and vulnerable farmers has vanished. Instead, they are driven by hateful vengeance and not by heroic goodness.
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Therefore, evil is ironically examined through the “heroic” actions of the characters, particularly during the battle scenes. Because war breeds moral corruption, acts of heroism in the midst of war are distorted as the characters are tainted with sinister intentions. Thus, the division line between good and evil becomes less distinct as war begins to take action. For instance, in the scene where the farmers are abusing the prisoner of war, Kambei tries to convince them to have sympathy for the merciful prisoner. However, the vengeful villagers contemptuously dismiss his request to be morally sound, which is basically to spare the prisoner’s life. The village matriarch, also a “hero” to her fellow villagers, then proceeds with the final kill.
In addition, this hateful vengeance and morally corrupt depiction of the farmers is a direct contrast to their vulnerability and victimization, which is symbolically reinforced through artistic aesthetics, in this case, cinematic codes where the cinema’s “physical support brings to mind a mental concept” (Andrew 61). For instance, editing rhythms, angle shots, and camera movements are all symbolic implications in distinguishing the evil (e.g., the bandits) and the good (e.g., the villagers) particularly during the beginning of the film. The rapid camera cuts of groups of bandits and the swift panning of scenes where bandits are galloping away reveal their uncontrollable and ruthless nature. During this panning, intercutting high-angle shots looking down at the village are revealed. Because “a single shot . . . generally contains dozens of signs, forming an intricate hierarchy of counterpoised meaning,” the contrast between the high and low angle shots, serves as signifying codes that represent good and evil (Giannetti 482). For instance, the high angle-shots of the village appear small and peaceful but also vulnerable. The villagers are protected temporarily as they remain hidden in their homes. The shot symbolizes their victimization, vulnerability, and helplessness. In contrast, low angle shots have the opposite effect, especially on a psychological level. The low angle shots of the bandits and their close proximity to the camera accentuate their greatness in size, revealing their threatening and dominating presence.
Furthermore, the high-angle shots of battling bandits, villagers, and samurai reveal how all three groups are meshed into one vengeful barbaric brawl—again reiterating the lack of division line behind good and evil in the midst of war. The kinetic energy of battle scenes such as the continuous intercutting and panning, typify the epic genre in which “a sense of sweep and breath” stresses action—all of which signify the disorder and chaos of war and the lack of divisibility between good and evil (Giannetti 103). As farmers and samurai join alliances to put a stop to the bandits, the moral integrity of all three groups becomes questionable. They fight for the sake of vengeance, greed, and hate—the antithesis of morality. This is clearly emphasized through the grotesque and perilous battles, which take place during the night scenes. The dense, tight frames are filled with fighting individuals, moving shadows, smoke, patches of fire, and wooden spears—all of which symbolize the intricate mosaic of humanity’s dark side.
Lastly, the conflict behind heroic duty and inclination reveals the psychological as well as emotional impact of the “heroes.” This is illustrated in the very end of the film when the villagers are oblivious to the samurai’s hard work and dedication. Kambei clearly understands the bittersweet and paradoxical outcome of the samurai’s “success.” From a heroic standpoint, they have met their objectives: to kill the bandits, to keep the village standing, and to protect the farmers. Kambie knows that it is “morally” imperative to follow through what they have been hired to do, that is, carry out their responsibilities as a samurai (hence duty). Promises have been kept but rewards have not been granted, making the whole venture, according to Kambie, regrettable and to a certain extent, worthless. Kambie is fully aware that the samurai’s only gain was merely a “fun” adventure. Yet as he looks at the four grave mounds of his fellow samurai, he realizes that the “fun” has its own painful price.
Therefore, when Kambie philosophically admits that they have been defeated and that the farmers are the winners, they have become fallen heroes. After their hard work is done, they are ostracized, alienated, and ignored. Their apotheosis is the reversal of what they have expected. There is no glorification behind their accomplishments. Through this, Kambie understands the dark side of inclination. In this case, “inclination becomes truly lonely, truly frightening. [As for the remaining samurai,] what will they do now, now that the work at hand is finished, proved of no particular value, now that they see themselves perfectly equated with the very enemy against whom they fought?” (Richie 102) Fueled by hate and vengeance, they have lost their sense of self in the midst of war. Most importantly, their disturbing vision of their “heroic” deeds (now that they have reduced themselves to their enemy’s status) have awakened them to the disturbing mistake, in this case, naively believing that their venture was really for the good of others considering the grim results.
Indeed, Seven Samurai is more than just a samurai adventure epic but also a psychological epic focusing on human emotions. With its contradictory, paradoxical, and ironical examination of heroic ethics, the film philosophically, artistically, and intellectually reexamines the complex definition of heroism. Therefore, Seven Samurai exudes a didactic energy that is universally applicable because it is poignantly honest in its unconventional heroic depictions. It reveals the inevitable power of being human particularly in the heroic realm. In this case, heroes are human, making them fallible in their own judgments when it comes to determining what is right and what is wrong and what is weak and what is strong.
Originally written March 9, 2004 (Humanities Encounter: Study of Film Course)
© 2014 by MMReviews. Materials may be used freely for educational purposes, with proper attribution.
Works Cited
Andrew, Dudley. Concepts in Film Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984.
Giannetti, Louis. Understanding Movies. 9th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002.
“Seven Samurai.” 2003 ed. 2 March 2004. English Department: University of
Massachusettes, Darthmouth <http://enl.umassd.edu/InteractiveCourse/Ethompson /sevensamurai.html>.
Richie, Donald. The Films of Akira Kurosawa. 3rd ed. Berkely: University of California Press, 1996.