The Seven Samurai (Criterion Collection) (1954) on DVD

Actor:           Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Seiji Miyaguchi, Minoru Chiaki, Daisuke Katô
Director:      Akira Kurosawa
Genre:          Foreign
Year:            1954
Studio:         Criterion
Length:        207
Released:   September 5, 2006 
Rating:         NR
Format:        DVD 
Misc:            NTSC
Language:  Japanese
Subtitles  :  English

DESCRIPTION:

One of the most beloved movie epics of all time, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabits hire the eponymous warriors to protect them from invading bandits. This three-hour ride - 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. This newly-remastered 3 DVD special edition set is loaded with bonus features.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer  
• Two audio commentaries: one by film scholars David Desser, Joan Mellen, Stephen Prince, Tony Rayns, and Donald Richie; the other by Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck  
• A 50-minute documentary on the making of Seven Samurai, part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create  
• My Life in Cinema, a two-hour video conversation between Akira Kurosawa and Nagisa Oshima produced by the Directors Guild of Japan  
• Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences, a new documentary lookimg at the samurai traditions and films that impacted Kurosawa's masterpiece  
• Theatrical trailers and teaser  
• Gallery of rare posters and behind-the scenes and production stills  
• New and improved English subtitle translation  
• A booklet featuring essays by Peter Cowie, Philip Kemp, Peggy Chiao, Alain Silver, Kenneth Turan, Stuart Galbraith, Arthur Penn, and Sidney Lumet and an interview with Toshiro Mifune