Born in 1910 at Tokyo, Akira Kurosawa is a Japanese director who is one of the most famous and influential film directors of all time. He’s worked on a number of classics throughout his career like Rashomon, Ran and Dreams and many more with five films that I haven’t mentioned that are included in this special collection.
Background:
Seven Samurai
“When the residents of a small Japanese village seek protection they hire seven unemployed ‘ronin’ (masterless samurai). Paid only in handfuls of rice, the samurai remain distant from the villagers, knowing that their assignment may prove fatal. Unanimously hailed as one of cinema’s greatest masterpieces, Seven Samurai has inspired countless films, including The Magnificent Seven.”Throne of Blood
“In this brilliant re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth Toshirô Mifune plays a samurai fated to betray his friend and master in exchange for the prestige of nobility. Kurosawa’s bloody tale is a triumph of economic style, and the climactic battle scene is full of remarkable, and brutal, imagery.”The Hidden Fortress
“In this classic collaboration between Kurosawa and star Mifune, a warrior and a princess try against all odds to return to their homeland with their fortune. Acknowledged by George Lucas as the inspiration for Star Wars, The Hidden Fortress combines an epic tale of struggle and honour with modern comic sensibilities to masterful effect.”Yojimbo
“A drifting samurai for hire plays both ends against the middle with two warring factions, surviving on his wits and his ability to outrun his own bad luck. Eventually the samurai seeks to eliminate both sides for his own gain and to define his own sense of honour. Yojimbo provided inspiration for A Fistful of Dollars.”Sanjuro
Plot Synopsis via British Film Institute, September 2014
“After the success of Yojimbo , Kurosawa teamed up once again with Mifune one year later to make this comedy of manners. The film, which follows a man fighting corruption in local government, offers a twist on the classic Samurai tale by gently, but perfectly parodying the conventions of the Japanese period action movie tradition.”
Akira Kurosawa Samurai Collection is distributed by UK publisher British Film Institute, also known as BFI, and have also released a number of classic Japanese films including Kurosawa’s Rashomon, and a batch of films from Yasujirō Ozu. The films included in this collection were not released on the Blu-ray format before for the United Kingdom, as Criterion have released them for the United States.
The first title included is the 1954 film Seven Samurai (七人の侍, Shichinin no samurai) which is pretty much one of the most iconic Japanese films out there and inspired many people including a US remake known as The Magnificent Seven.
The second is the 1957 film Throne of Blood (蜘蛛巣城, Kumonosu-jō) which is apparently a modified version of the classic William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth.
The third is the 1958 film The Hidden Fortress (隠し砦の三悪人, Kakushi toride no san akunin), a jidaigeki type adventure.
The fourth and fifth titles in the collection, the 1961 film Yojimbo (用心棒, Yōjinbō) and 1962 film Sanjūrō (椿三十郎, Tsubaki Sanjūrō), both feature the same character with the latter’s story altered due to the success of the former.
Special Packaging Contents:
The Akira Kurosawa Samurai Collection has been presented in a special Blu-ray set with a digipack presentation. Much like a lot of BFI’s catalogue, this set tends to stay in print with all of the special contents in tact, such as the booklet.
Seven Samurai is also available to own as a standalone release.
Physical Contents:
- Cardboard box with digipack packaging and info on packaging
- Fully illustrated booklet with contributions from Philip Kemp and Nigel Andrews, and full film credits
On-Disc Contents:
Distributor: British Film Institute
Released: 1st September 2014
The Akira Kurosawa Samurai Collection contains all five films across four Blu-ray discs; one film per disc with the exception of both Yojimbo and Sanjūrō as those are together on the same disc.
All five films have some on-disc extra features. All of the films are presented in its main Japanese language with English subtitles. The white subtitles are unlockable during playback and each Blu-ray disc is compatible with Region B after testing them. The films Throne of Blood and Yojimbo also feature audio commentary.
Blu-ray Specs:
| Languages | Japanese |
| Audio | Seven Samurai (Disc 1) Japanese Linear PCM 1.0 Throne of Blood (Disc 2) Japanese Linear PCM 2.0 The Hidden Fortress (Disc 3) Japanese Linear PCM 2.0 Yojimbo and Sanjūrō (Disc 4) Japanese Linear PCM 2.0 |
| Video | Seven Samurai (Disc 1) 1080p High Definition Native format 1:33:1 aspect ratio Throne of Blood (Disc 2) 1080p High Definition Native format 1:33:1 aspect ratio The Hidden Fortress (Disc 3) 1080p High Definition Native format 2:35:1 aspect ratio Yojimbo and Sanjūrō (Disc 4) 1080p High Definition Native format 2:35:1 aspect ratio |
| Region | B |
| Subtitles | English |
| Locked Subtitles | No |
| Discs | 4 |
Blu-ray On-Disc Extra Features:
Disc 1 (Seven Samurai):
- Play film with or without Intermission
- The Art of Akira Kurosawa
- Original Japanese Theatrical Trailer
Disc 2 (Throne of Blood):
- Audio Commentary with Michael Jeck
- Original Japanese Theatrical Trailer
Disc 3 (The Hidden Fortress):
- Interview with George Lucas
- Original Japanese Theatrical Trailer
Disc 4 (Yojimbo and Sanjūrō):
- Yojimbo Audio Commentary with Philip Kemp
- Yojimbo Original Japanese Theatrical Trailer
- Play Sanjūrō with Introduction by Alex Cox
- Alex Cox on Akira Kurosawa’s Sanjūrō
- Sanjūrō Original Japanese Theatrical Trailer
Unboxing Photos:
Final Notes:
Akira Kurosawa Samurai Collection is available on Blu-ray and DVD from BFI for the United Kingdom and Ireland. You can order this particular set on BFI official website and on Amazon UK.
The Normanic Vault 
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