Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai is in the same unassuming, none glorious light as The Twilight Samurai.
The California standards cover Japan's military society and the lord-vassal relationship that lasted into the 20th century.
Showing movies like Tom Cruise's The Last Samurai and Twilight Samurai bring to light a compare and contrast aspect about the samurai. The Seven Samurai adds another layer to this topic. Showing clips of how downtrodden/unemployed samurais live and how they still keep to the code of bushido by helping others, in this case the villagers, adds so much to delving into different aspects of life during different times in Japanese history. It is not always about the blood, gore, and glory as depicted in cartoons, books, and movies such as Last Samurai.
By showing different clips of these disheveled looking warriors and how real they are is wonderful. They still have and maintain their skills that allow them to carry the day. Students will gain an appreciation of how these men lived up to their code of "Those who serve".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwN1-3OFiLU&list=PLT1XPncL_aK9ra8TqZqe0HuX5EElQssX3
There is also a modern-based anime series:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5NvQP9A2TNIfzbYytV6TNBULj2uruETY
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The Seven Samurai
09/03/2015 04:19 PM
#1
The Seven Samurai
I agree, that when teaching about the Samurai, students will benefit from a variety of perspectives. Some people tend to idealize the Samurai as glamorous and valiant warriors, but fail to mention the unemployed or poor.