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dingodog1
28th February 2004, 15:12
I often view movies that have portions that I can't quite follow due to various things from lack of sophistication on my part to lack of humility.

I was thinking about the movie,"The Seven Samurai", and the character, Kikuchiyo, played by Toshiro Mifune. He was initially dismissed and mocked by the others. He even produced a scroll that he seemed to think would lend legitimacy to his claims that was easily refuted. Was he just that ignorant to think that they couldn't tell that the scroll didn't identify him and why wasn't he killed or beaten if they thought he was an imposter claiming to be a samurai? He would seem a prime candidate for testing their blades!

dingodog1
28th February 2004, 15:46
...there were several questions that I never answered since I saw the movie. His origins seemed to be much more humble than the others as they speculated. Why did they continue to accept him once they did? I can understand why the other samurai felt the repugnance they felt in accepting the dead samurai' armor and weapons but why didn't Kikuchiyo feel it as well or at least forsee that they wouldn't accept it? Was the Samurai traits displayed by Kikuchiyo such as bravery and indomitable spirit taught to him or simply that of an exceptional human being who wanted to be "somebody"(respected)?

fifthchamber
10th March 2004, 15:02
Hi there...
The first question that you ask was why did Mifune's character NOT know what the scroll he carried said? My answer would be that at no point in the film does Kikuchiyo show that he CAN actually read! Even down to the flag that is designed the character for "Farmer" needs to be explained by the Designer in order for the others to comprehend...Perhaps more particularly the peasant Kikuchiyo.....It was not always the case that peasants were fully able to write in the Kanji script rather than Kana and that would be my guess...
As for the other questions..I would guess that he was allowed to stay for the reasons used in the script...The Samurai needed a good laugh..(My words..) and besides they DID need seven men...Heh....
As for the others, I have no idea...But again would suggest that as a peasant Kikuchiyo would not have the same kind of anger in him at the thought of using the armour/weapons of the dead Samurai....The same kind of idea is the theme of "Onibaba" also, where the armour of wounded Samurai is taken for sale by poorer peasants....And as for Kikuchiyo's "Bravery"....Well....My guess would again be that he wanted to live up to his ideal as a Samurai...To be seen as one of them....And thus he was an extreme of the ideals HE believed were the Samurai ethos...
But the basic and most reasonable answer to ALL of your questions here is that they ALL make the story one of the best films to have ever come out of the Kurosawa stable!
THAT'S the best answer........
Regards...

dingodog1
11th March 2004, 01:39
I only recently noticed that "Onibaba" is currently showing on the Independent Film Channel and that it does discuss the same period and issues depicted in "The Seven Samurai". Thanks for the clarification again, I appreciate it.