New French Trailer for Re-Release of Kurosawa’s ‘Seven Samurai’ 4K
by Alex Billington
May 27, 2024
Source: YouTube
“Unmatched for suspense and spectacle!” The Jokers distribution in France have debuted a new trailer for the 4K re-release honoring the 70th Anniversary of this all-timer B&W action classic from Japan. Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai first opened in Japan in 1954 and also played at the 1954 Venice Film Festival. To celebrate this year’s 70th anniversary, the 2024 Cannes Film Festival just hosted a special screening of this brand new 4K restoration. Hence why this new French trailer is out now. They add that Seven Samurai is “one of the most renowned films in the history of Japanese cinema. We decided to restore this film in 4K using the latest technology at TOHO Archives Co., Ltd. [for the] 70th anniversary of its initial theatrical release in Japan.” The tranquility of a small Japanese village is disturbed by repeated attacks by a band of looters. Seven masterless samurai agree to defend the helpless peasants in this seminal classic. This stars Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, and Keiko Tsushima. The film is already available on Criterion Blu-ray and always replays in theaters, but a fresh 4K restoration is always majestic to witness. Have a look.
Here’s the new French trailer for the 4K re-release of Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, direct from YouTube:
Criterion intro: “One of the most thrilling movie epics of all time, Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire the eponymous warriors to protect them from invading bandits. This three-hour ride from Akira Kurosawa—featuring legendary actors Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura—seamlessly weaves philosophy and entertainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action, into a rich, evocative, and unforgettable tale of courage and hope.” Seven Samurai, originally known as 七人の侍 in Japanese, is directed by the legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa – his 15th film at the time, just after Ikiru (1952) and before making I Live in Fear (1955). The screenplay is written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni. The film originally premiered in 1954 in Japan, playing at the 1954 Venice Film Festival that same year. It didn’t open in the US until 1956 with 50 minutes of the film cut. The Jokers will re-release Seven Samurai in 4K into cinemas in France on July 3rd this summer. Hopefully it’ll tour in the US later in the year as well. One of your all-time favorites?
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