Salazar, Mialyza May 28, 2017

3ASN3

“Translating Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai to

Japanese Religion, Thought and Aesthetics”

Released in 1954, the Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa is arguably one of the best

Japanese movies created. Though the entirety of the movie was in monochrome, the

cinematography, however, and how the characters and the storyline worked together was

exceptional. An article by Matthew Jackson on Mental Floss stated that the movie was written in

a period of six weeks, something that amazed even more. The whole movie is around three

hours. It had its fair share of action, comedy, romance and reality. In the same article, it was

stated that the movie was inspired of historical basis that in the past there were “Hungry

Samurai” as said by Elder Gisaku in the early part of the film, who would protect peasant

villages in exchange of food and shelter.

Growing up, I’ve had my fair share of Japanese historical movies and dramas wherein

most I was forced to watch whenever family or friends visit the country. As much as I love and

am curious about the country and its culture, these types of movies never really caught my eye.

This film though was an exception. Even if the main reason why I watched it was for this Finals

paper, I grew to actually like and enjoy the film. As I stated earlier, the movie catered different

genres such as comedy, action and romance, although typical in contemporary movies, the film

projected these genres in a much realistic manner, something that will be discussed later on this

paper.
 The story revolves around a village inhabited by farmers who are tormented by bandits.

Farmers in this village then thought of fighting back and defending their land with the help of

samurais. Initially aiming for four samurais, they ended up with seven, leaded by Shimada

Kambei, a ronin.

Whenever influences come across Japan, the Japanese almost always finds a way to turn

it into their own, religion was no exception to this. Buddhism came to Japan from China during

the Late Yamato Period (552-710). This period in Japanese history was when influences from

China flourished in Japan. And as said, Japan had a way of incorporating their own ideas into

their foreign influences and in the case of Buddhism, it was Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism in

Japan had two sects, Rinzai and Soto (Stunkel 222). Japan’s version of Zen Buddhism was

infused with the country’s Shinto belief. As what Non Iwamoto-san said in her introduction with

chanoyu, Zen Buddhism is being one with the cosmos, not something superior to it. Shinto, if

literally translated into English would be “Way of the God” (Shin translating to Spirit or God,

and To meaning path or way). This religion believes in the totality of nature and that in nature

there is no evil (226-227).

Zen Buddhism became the religion of the samurai, particularly because it is paralleled

with the Bushido (Code of the Samurai). Both Zen and Bushido follows the aspects of being one

with nature, imposing self control, simplicity of life and the discipline of meditation (269). In a

class with Prof. Baron, he said that before a samurai commits hara-kiri or seppuku, he goes into

satori.

In a way, the movie reflects Japan’s religion and mythology in two aspects, first is in the

presence of the samurai and how they carried themselves throughout the movie—showing acts of
learned both in Zen and Bushido. Second is in the last sequence of the movie wherein the

farmers were singing whilst planting crops. This scene could be interpreted in Shintoism as a

way of expressing their gratitude to the gods and deities.

Japan’s way of thinking is heavily influenced by religion and Stunkel enumerated the

attitudes of the country’s way of thinking. First is like I stated earlier, influences from abroad are

often shaped or infused with Japanese taste and ideas. Second is the lack of rational

discrimination, and lastly is the endurance of indistinct belief (231).

One Japanese way of thinking that struck me since the reporting and lectures started was

mono no aware. I’ve gone fixated with the concept because it was something I could understand

yet not fully grasp, so while watching, I was trying hard to find this concept within the movie,

yet I found it in the ending. Mono no Aware was defined in the book as “…a sense of

impermanence and pathos with regard to the world and its contents passing away after a moment

of health and beauty” (207) and “the melancholy of things passing away” (212).

If I understood the concept properly, it could be said that mono no aware was depicted in

two parts of the final sequence. First is with Shino and Katsushiro’s affair. This relationship

shows a forbidden love between a farmer and a samurai, it could be paralleled with the book’s

examples of Genji Monogatari and The Pillow Book. All three tells one thing: relationships pass,

impermanence in temporary beauty. My understanding of mono no aware lies in the thought of

accepting the concept of change, and even though one is aware of this fleeting, it doesn’t hinder

one from feeling momentary happiness or euphoria. Thus leading me to my second mono no

aware in the movie, which was further emphasized with Shimada’s line “In the end we lost this
battle too.” The lives of samurai ronin show ‘mono no aware’ in one way or another. They are

samurais with no masters, samurais who are hired, if not wanderers. In class I was asked about

Samurai X, what I could classify as mono no aware in the series/film. I said that it was Kenshin’s

blade and his vow to not kill anyone even though he’s a samurai, a warrior. I’m relating this

answer to Shimada’s line because these warriors go into battle even though there is a huge

possibility that they would die, or that they expect that they would die, relating this to another

line of Shimada: “Once more we survived”. This concept of death and dying did not stop these

samurais from fighting, from following their code. In a physical sense, this is shown in the last

frames, where the three remaining samurais look at the graves of those who have passed.

The movie appeals to Japanese ideals of beauty for its simplicity. Following the flow of

the book on the ideals, first is the movie showcased naturalness and since it was set in a

countryside village, there are numerous frames that imposed the mountains, the streams, the rich

forest, the rice fields and the field of flowers. It also adheres to the aesthetic of natural material

and asymmetry, houses in the set were made of wood, bamboo and thatched roof with no

particular architectural design. Weapons were also made up of both bamboo and steel, and

ceramics are also shown in small parts of the movie such as the jar of rice, and the bowl they

used to serve the samurais with. The untrammeled space was shown in frames wherein the nature

was showcased as well as the emptiness and simplicity of the interior of houses. Throughout the

movie, simplicity was imposed yet extravagance was not shown. Also, the movie rebels from the

Chinese connection of Japanese aesthetics, the absence of paintings, temples and sculptures.
 Following the Heian Aesthetics stated in the book, as said, there was no architectural

design shown in the film thus Heian’s Shinden architecture was not shown. There was also the

absence of tatami matting and the paper screen. Although one woman in the movie adhered to

the female aesthetics of the period, with shaved brows and long hair, that woman was Rikichi’s

wife who was shown at the later part of the film. Yet, the reoccurring female character rebelled

to these aesthetics; Shino’s hair was chopped and was disguised as a male.

Japan, similar with other East Asian countries, is closely tied with its traditions.

Separating contemporary Japanese art with canonical ones differs in the medium and the

influence of the artist. Contemporary Japanese art has been influenced by western technology

and aesthetics. Yet again I’ll bring back the argument that the Japanese infuse these influences

with their custom ideals. Anime and manga for example, differs from canonical Japanese

landscape and portrait. The characters drawn in anime and manga are japanized drawings of

comic book characters, the artists for these drawings concern themselves with bodily proportions

for it to appear realistic, something that rebels and repels the ukiyo-e portraits of courtesans and

actors. These drawings also show various facial expressions, not limited to stoic faces or overly

exaggerated ones. Another aspect that makes contemporary Japanese art different is its colour

range. Canonical Japanese art maintain their simplicity with a limited colour range if it is not a

monochromatic piece. As seen in Kamisaka Sekka’s Dawn of Modern Japanese Design, the

colours are much vivid and loud, and the illustration of the women in his Ai Yamaguchi is a

mixture of western influence and of eastern traditions. With this attitude of Japanese culture,

inflicting their norms in influences, it makes their artworks legacy longer, to the point that
traditional Japanese art is enjoyed until the present. An example of this legacy is Hiroshige’s The

Great Wave Off Kanagawa, which is enjoyed by many even today.

Reference:

Carpenter, John. "Hokusai's Iconic "Great Wave"." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, i.e. The

Met Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2017.

Jackson, Matthew. "16 Epic Facts About Seven Samurai." 16 Epic Facts About 'Seven Samurai' |

Mental Floss. N.p., 06 Apr. 2016. Web. 26 May 2017.

"Kamisaka Sekka." Art Gallery NSW. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2017.

<https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/kamisaka-sekka/>.

Stunkel, Kenneth R. Ideas and Art in Asian Civilizations: India, China and Japan. Ed. Doug

Merwin. New York: East Gate Book, 2012.