Episode 46 - Seven Samurai vs The Magnificent Seven

In the “Seven Samurai” released in 1954 by Toho and director by Akira Kurosawa, we follow the exploits of an unfortunate peasant village in feudal Japan as they recruit seven samurai to help them defend themselves against marauding ronin. In “The Magnificent Seven” released in 1960 by MGM/UA and directed by John Sturges, we follow the exploits of an unfortunate peasant village in rural Mexico as they recruit seven gun fighters to help them defend themselves against marauding bandits. And that’s just the beginning of the similarities between these two movies. Many people consider the “Seven Samurai” one of the best films ever produced. “The Magnificent Seven” is also held in very high regard. What are the similarities? What are the differences? Is one a better film than the other? Bob and I discuss these topics as we review these two films in this week’s episode.