Seven Samurai with The Little Theatre – online film club

Seven Samurai is seen by many as one of the greatest films in the history of cinema. This 1954 Japanese epic, written and directed by Akira Kurosawa, takes place in 1586 and follows the story of a village of desperate farmers who seek to hire masterless samurai to combat bandits who will return after the harvest to steal their crops.

In the first of an exciting collaboration with The Little Theatre, BRLSI will be hosting an online film club, chaired by Martha Hollingsworth. Martha is supervisor at The Little Theatre Cinema and their resident Japanese film expert so we are delighted to have her on board to chair a discussion on what is considered by many cineastes a masterpiece!

You can watch the film itself at The Little Theatre in Bath the day before the discussion – Sunday 19 March, at 12.40pm. You can buy tickets for the film via The Little Theatre website.

Here’s a few things to think about while you’re watching!

1. Has anyone seen the film before? Or any other Kurosawa films? First time ever, first time ever watching it at the cinema?
2. Class is a topic explored in many Akira Kurosawa films. What are your thoughts about how class is discussed in Seven Samurai?
3. How well do you think the film captures the changing nature of warfare and military strategy of the Sengoku period?
4. Can the film help us explore Japanese cultural identity after the end of the Asia- Pacific War and American Occupation of Japan?
5. How does Kurosawa use weather as an atmospheric tool throughout the feature?
6. What are your thoughts on Kurosawa’s shot composition? Particularly how he frames ensembles?

The film club is FREE for BRLSI members (please book your place via the Book Tickets button).

Little Theatre members: please select the NON-MEMBER ticket option and apply the discount code emailed to you separately by the Little Theatre.