The movie in 1954, I watched it more than 60 years later, and I still feel high-spirited!
[Spoilers]
A villager inadvertently learned that the bandits were going to rob his small village after the rice harvest, so he went back to discuss with everyone what to do. The elders in the village meant that since they were robbed and starved to death due to lack of food, it is better to fight against it. Suffering from the fact that the peasants only had the skills to farm the land, the elders assigned a few villagers to the town to seek warriors.
Before the story unfolds, the low drum beats for a full 180 seconds, like the clouds before the storm, bringing a manic-depressive air pressure, heralding the coming of bad luck. When the villagers heard the news that the bandits were coming, they gathered in the open space in the village. The women buried their heads and cried, while the men sighed. In the war-torn era, the peasants who only knew how to cultivate had such an expression. They had to pay official tribute and have to serve in labor. There were bandits and bandits looting. Just like Chinese farmers. Both cause and effect. What I'm thinking now, why not take up arms and resist? Bandits are human too, they will bleed and die if they are stabbed by a knife! Then I refuted myself, different eras, different experiences, and they are all solidified thinking, how can I impose it? Can a medieval man understand what I told him about Newton's three laws? Maybe understanding is one thing, changing thinking and acting is another.
Li Ji was the only villager who proposed to kill the bandit. The others either bowed their heads and said they couldn't do it, or laughed and said that a lunatic would only fight the bandit if he wanted to die. Obedience has been branded on the body and mind of this generation. Even if the samurai defeated the bandit at the end, I believe that the next time they have to rely on their own strength, their first reaction is to bow their heads and think about how to avoid disaster.
Li Ji is still young and still dares to take the initiative to change himself. After catching the scouts sent by the bandits, Kanbei plans to preemptively go to the bandit's lair to kill some, and by the way probe for information. Li Ji said immediately, I will be the guide. First, as a peasant, he dared to go to the bandit's lair, and he was quite courageous; second, the bandit's lair took half a day on foot and half a day on horseback. Li Ji was familiar with the route, which also showed that he was usually careful. Li Ji's wife was kidnapped by bandits before, so Li Ji has been reluctant to mention it. Li Ji's wife is also a bold person. Early in the morning, all the thieves were dreaming, and Liji and the samurai were about to set fire to the village. Li Ji's wife woke up to find thick smoke, and suddenly became silent in panic. It seemed that she was preparing to die with this group of bandits. Yep. Later, when they escaped with the crowd, they saw Liji at the door of the house, but instead ran back to the wooden house that was surrounded by fire. She felt that she had no face to see his husband again.
Li Ji and a few accepted the request of the village elders to go to the town to find warriors. I don't know much about samurai, but I do know something, like samurai is the ruling class, noble, peasants are low. A samurai is not a knight, loyalty is the samurai's belief. Li Ji and the others were actually looking for a down-and-out samurai, a ronin. There is no owner and no salary. When looking for samurai, some have skill, but look down on such peasants; some have no skill, but act as rogues, and after being reprimanded by rogues turn to bully monks; some have skill, but turn their heads when they hear that there is no reward Just go. So at the end of the day, it's only in the story that you can find seven samurai who are willing to receive a daily meal as payment.
Kanbei didn't intend to accept it. He was a warrior who fought many battles and was often defeated. However, surviving in war also requires a lot of mental flexibility. But he was old now and tired of fighting. Although he wanted to help Liji, he also realized that it was impossible to deal with so many bandits without enough samurai, which was tantamount to dying. Katsushiro was wandering outside and wanted to worship Kanbei as his teacher. He was young and energetic, and wanted to rely on his will, but was stopped by Kanbei. Dramatically, a few rogues ridiculed the weeping peasants first, and were reprimanded by Katsushiro for lack of sympathy, but the rogue changed the subject and pointed out that Kanbei and Katsushiro were eating Riki's white rice, while Riki and the others were eating tares. After being told that by the rogue, Kanbei accepted the mission under the influence of self-esteem, sympathy and sense of justice. Kanbei has both strategy and courage, coupled with battle-hardened experience, enough to serve as the leader. And Katsushiro is young and passionate, and can learn a lot in this mission.
Gorobei was very careful, and he noticed Kanbee's temptation before entering the house. Kanbingwei explained the reason, and he agreed to join the team after considering it again and again. He bluntly said that although he also sympathized with the farmers, he admired Kanbei more, saying that having a confidant in life is enough. This friend is worth making! This recruitment process can be heard in the streets.
Shijiro is a funny guy. He once fought with Kanbei, and after the castle was breached, he hid under water plants and escaped at night, and later became a hawker. Kanbei asked him, there is a useless battle to be fought, will you participate? Shijijiro agreed without thinking. Kanbei then asked, may he die? Shijijiro's serious face slowly stretched out and smiled, as if to say: You know me!
Heihachi's speech is very interesting, and it can be seen that he is a very positive and optimistic person. He said that once he started killing, he couldn't stop, so he ran away before killing anyone. When introducing himself, he said that he knew the swordsmanship of chopping wood!
Kuzang's swordsmanship is superb, and he only wants to cultivate and improve his martial arts, and is unwilling to join. Although he is highly skilled in martial arts, he has a restrained personality, does not speak much, and is neither arrogant nor ostentatious. Later, after listening to Kanbei's inadvertent remarks, he joined in. Kanbei said to Katsushiro, "When I was as old as you, I also thought about doing meritorious service in battle with my ability, and then becoming the king of a city. But thinking about it, my hair was gray. At that time, you lost your parents and you were alone. All in one." Everyone lowered their heads and thought. One night in the defense, Kanbei estimated the route of the bandits entering the village, but worried about the enemy's muskets, Kuzang said, "Let me go," and disappeared into the night with a gust of wind. In the early morning in the dense fog (it's very strange why the bandit did not choose this time to attack), Jiuzang came out of the thick fog, his expression was still cold, not like an assassination, but like he just returned from practicing swordsmanship. He handed the musket to Katsushiro and said: Kill two. Then he climbed over the fence against the wooden house and closed his eyes to cultivate. Katsushiro stared at Kuzo in admiration. Jiuzang said: I have something to say, I want to sleep for a while. "You...really amazing! I've wanted to tell you for a long time." Jiuzang smiled bitterly, seemingly a trivial matter but was extremely complimented. Somehow, I remembered the phrase, "Without it, you can only be familiar with it." The state of being superb but still constantly striving for improvement is exactly the charm of Jiuzang. It's a pity that the martial arts have been hidden for a long time, and finally died under the gun, and in the mud, only lamented the progress of science and technology, lamented the changes of the times.
Kikuchiyo is a very interesting person. His personality is flamboyant, sloppy, and reckless. He speaks and acts in a frank style. He dances when he is happy, and dances when he is angry. He was originally the son of a peasant family. When he was young, his parents were killed by bandits. After that, he wandered around with a long sword. When he saw anyone, he stared and asked: Am I not like a samurai? He was not called Kikuchiyo, and he himself didn't know what his name was. The genealogy that he grabbed from somewhere said Kikuchiyo, so he was called Kikuchiyo by Kanbei.
Kikuchiyo is not only very interesting, he is also the protagonist of the movie, and many plots need him to be connected in series. For example, when a group of seven warriors first arrived at the village they needed to defend, the village was empty and no one came out to welcome them. Everyone was looking forward to the arrival of the samurai, but then they heard rumors that the samurai had bad behavior and spoiled the girl. So everyone hides at home. The villagers' rejection of the samurai, the samurai's distrust of the villagers' disappointment, and the estrangement had formed before meeting and salute, which undoubtedly made things worse. Fortunately, Kikuchiyo wisely sounded the alarm that the village was attacked, and everyone immediately ran to the open space in the square to make a mess. Until Kikuchiyo, who had just made a "ridiculous behavior", ran out, the samurai smiled at each other with the villagers, and the embarrassment was well resolved. The design is amazing, works well, and also looks natural and smooth.
Another very wonderful detail is that when Kikuchiyo asked the villagers to take out the weapons and equipment that killed the samurai before, they were resented by the samurai. They resented these villagers who needed their own protection, and actually killed the fallen warriors. Even a samurai without a master is more noble than a peasant. What's more, you villagers want us, the deserted warriors, to protect you! At this time, Kikuchiyo attacked. He faced the warriors, glared, laughed wildly, and scolded: Yes! Yes! These farmers are the most cunning! Rice, salt, beans, wine, everything, either hidden under the floor or in the storage room, but they said no. Faithful but most liars! stingy! cunning! cowardly! Bad hearted! Low energy! But... who made them like this? ! It's a samurai! Burn the village for the war! Destroy the paddy fields! Work at will! Abuse women! Kill the rebels! What do you call a farmer? ! Damn it! The warriors fell silent. This kind of silence made the samurai and the villagers silently understand each other, opened up the estrangement, and promoted the relationship.
The villagers have always been cowardly, which is almost inscribed in their blood. From rumors that samurai would ravage the women of the village, to disputes over a few thatched huts, and then the spies who killed the bandits in anger. After the death of a samurai, he was crying on the grave, and Kikuchiyo has acted like a real samurai to inspire everyone. Although the villagers briefly showed bravery and obeyed orders during the battle, they would definitely become a pile of sand when there was no leader in the future. On the eve of the war, Katsushiro also had a love affair with Shino, but after the gangsters were completely wiped out, the village returned to its former calm. She and Katsushiro are no longer one, nor are the villagers and the samurai one.
I liked the seven samurai very much, and there was something shining about each of them that attracted me. When the movie ended, I still felt unfulfilled. Especially in the ending, the three warriors stood beside the four sword graves, the peasants celebrated their victory, and the warriors were extremely lonely. "It's the farmers who won, not us," Kanbei said. That's how war is, and sacrifice is inevitable. The meaning of Kanbei should be to say that we samurai are just tools for these farmers. After all, they still only care about themselves, and only care about their three rooms. They never understand that defending others can defend themselves. So, when will the next bandit come?
Concentric, also represents the same compassion. That is to say, after the earthquake relief, you can't always rush to hold a commendation meeting, and you can't always say that the family members are emotionally stable.
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