The plot of this film is very similar to Tsui Hark’s "Seven Swords". Seven knights with high martial arts went to save a village that could not protect themselves, and finally wiped out the enemy and achieved victory. The fighting scenes in this film are also very realistic, and the realism is more thorough, without any unpredictable martial arts moves, more like an ancient war film. Perhaps apart from Hong Kong, there is no place where the elegant style of martial arts movies can be made.
The film length of more than three hours gives the film the possibility of a complete and full narrative. The three paragraphs are very detailed, and the transition is natural, and the rhythm is calm, the ins and outs of the story. They are all clearly stated. The life experience, character, and ending of the seven people are clearly explained, and the roles are different. Although there are many characters, they are not messy at all. In contrast, the plot of "Seven Swords" is much more hasty. Of course, "Seven Swords" still has a sequel to look forward to, and it is too early to make a final conclusion in this regard. What puzzled me in this film is why those bandits, after being frustrated and severely injured in the first two attacks, would launch a third attack like moths into the flames? Even if you are hungry, don't you go to other villages to pick some soft persimmons?
After reading a lot of martial arts novels, the traditional Chinese chivalrous spirit to be expressed in "Seven Swords" is already familiar. Although the theme of this film is very similar, the Bushido spirit embodied in it does have the national characteristics of Japan. The spirit of chivalry in China may be attributed to the compassion in human nature and the tradition of Confucian benevolence, while the spirit of Bushido in Japan seems to have become a moral code for a specific group. The most obvious point that can demonstrate this is that it may be difficult to find seven strangers on the street, but the "Seven Swords" are already familiar with each other or have deep roots. And in my impression, the ancient Chinese knights can always be chivalrous, and they can always help the weak by hoeing the strong and helping the weak without hesitation. And from this film, you can see that the samurai has another name called "ronin". On the one hand, you can see the living conditions of their rangers around, and on the other hand, you can experience the difficult survival of the time. Of course, some warriors have integrated into the ruling class, and some have fallen into looting bandits, but the warriors of these two groups have lost the so-called Bushido spirit. The hero Guo Jing tells us that the real "chivalrous man" is for the country and the people. In this regard, there should be no distinction between ethnic boundaries.
In traditional Chinese thinking, farmers are always kind and responsible, but few people have touched on their inherent inferiority. Although there are no treacherous peasants in the film, you can clearly see their selfishness, cowardice, and ignorance, which run counter to the chivalry, courage, and wisdom advocated by the Bushido spirit. They begged the samurai for help, but they were wary of them, so that when the seven samurai first came to the village, no one came to greet them. Shino's father did not allow her to associate with Katsushiro, and in the end Shino also voluntarily left him. Of course, this may also be because they have been persecuted by the other two samurai groups, so it is difficult to immediately cast a trusting look on the seven samurai. Class contradictions may really be difficult to reconcile, but it cannot be denied that there are still a few justices who can adhere to the Bushido norms in these last days. Good and evil cannot be divided by class. This is particularly evident in Kikuchiyo. He is the son of a farmer, but he has the dream of a warrior, and his superb martial arts and the spirit of sacrificing his life are enough to make him a qualified warrior. The hero is not afraid of a low birth. Whether he is a farmer or not, he cannot become a samurai. Through the long knife that was finally inserted in his grave, the director may have given a clear answer.
It is worth pondering that Kanbingwei finally looked at the peasants singing while planting rice seedlings and said sadly, we were still defeated, and it was them who won. Just when Katsushiro wanted to worship him as a teacher, he also said that he had fought many battles in his life, but they were all defeated. It can be said that although he has proved his existence through the process of fighting, he will inevitably feel the sense of loss afterwards that the birds are hiding in their bows and the autumn fans are thrown away. After all, the survival of the samurai is for a spirit of hoeing the strong and helping the weak. When there is no strong to ward or the weak to support, they can only continue to find their meaning of survival in the wanderings. Whether they are used by the government or hired by farmers, they are just tools in the hands of others. The so-called crossing of rivers and bridges, ordinary people are so utilitarian. However, the Chinese knights can help the world at the same time, and the poor can take care of themselves, unlike the Japanese samurai who always carry the heavy burden of class mission. After the Chinese knights "killed one person in ten steps", they could "get away with their clothes and hide their name", but the deformed sense of honor is deeply rooted in the hearts of Japanese samurai, which is why the pathological tradition of laparotomy arises. For the samurai, perhaps only if they die on the battlefield like Kikuchiyo and others, can they preserve their spiritual integrity and become true victors.
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