Akira Kurosawa's legendary 1954 epic Seven Samurai had an equally legendary production full of challenges that might have even given the titular gang a run for their money. After three months of pre-production, the film had 148 shooting days spread out over a year. This would turn out to be four times the span covered in the original budget, which eventually came to almost half a million dollars. In fact, Toho Studios closed down production at least twice. However, each time, Kurosawa calmly went fishing, reasoning that the studio had already heavily invested in the production and would allow him to complete the picture. The shooting of the film itself was no easy feet either. As an example, the film's final battle scene, originally scheduled to be shot at the end of summer, was shot in February in near-freezing temperatures. Actor Toshiro Mifune, who played the character Kikuchiyo, later recalled that he had never been so cold in his life. Yet, in the end, the film became a cornerstone of cinema. If you look up the number of movies inspired by the film, you might found yourself shocked. But then again...all great legends do just that. Stay tuned!
Comments