Seven Samarai and Magnificent Seven tell the tale of a small village that is going to be rampaged by a number of bandits. As a way to defend themselves three men go out in order to recruit help. Wanting only a few, the group ends up as seven. Seven Samarai and Magnificent Seven unfold this epic story with the characterization of the seven men, muddled with controversy, deep-rooted tradition, and a great plot. Seven Samarai was produced before Magnificent Seven. Though they both follow the same tale of this village defense and group of seven, there are some differences with in the plot such as the merging of Katsushiro and Kicuchiyu into one main character, certain love interest which developed between the farmers daughter and Chico and Katsushiro which is left out of Seven Samarai, as well as other detail oriented differences to do with the plot and character development. Though the plot of generally the same, the visual production of each of the two films creates a starkly different viewing experience and creates a different mood, effect, and product overall. (Names looked up on Wikipedia--> Magnificent Seven)
Though there are many details that change up the plot and make for an alternative viewing to an altogether similar plot, what I want to focus on is less detail oriented with characters or story line, but instead to do with visual product of each film. With only six years separating the two Samarai films, the visual production of each is vastly different. Before analyzing two specific scenes, some of the visual effects are based on a few more basic elements. First off, color makes a huge difference, as does genre, being western in Magnificent Seven. However, my thesis of how visual effects dramatically affect the overall result, has to do with foreground and background.
In Seven Samarai, as I described in class, because of the way the scenes are shot, there is a peculiar separation (or lack there of) of the characters in the foreground versus the background. In many of the scenes, the background action is so intensified that it is as if two scenes are happening within the frame of one. I found this altogether distracting and as a result, as taking away from the content. Specifically, in Seven Samarai, when Kambei, the chosen leader, goes into the hut to retrieve the screaming girl, the focus is so far back that in the midst of Kambei’s waiting at the door, so much is happening the background. Instead doing several different angles of the same scene, the camera is a wider lens. As a result, much of what is happening in the background competes with the foreground activity (in this case Kambei at the door before he rushes in to retrieve the girl). In the particular scene, the other villagers reactions (specifically scared, heavy emotion, fright and panic), are so visible that a clown/mime like scene shines through. By this I mean that the background reactions are seemingly sped up, while the foreground is in normal motion. This creates as artificially produced product and cheapening of acting and set. The level of validity and seriousness is ruined in my mind due to the jamming in of too much in terms of content.
In contrast to these cheapening elements due to space and visual crowdedness, Magnificent Seven is much different. For example (for which I could use each scene in this movie) in chapter seven when Vin is sitting at the table in town, and the little girls are walking through, the camera is moving along showing everyone that is there and at many points the camera, though it is focused on two of the characters (in this case Vin), the background action is present but distant. As with the mountains in the background, the people were visible but blended nicely in the background. In this particular scene, as Vin is at the table in the foreground, the background is there but has a fading out quality. The background colors are darker and the camera angles create a narrowing effect as the distance increases. This allows for an emphasis on the main foreground of the action. Not just in this chapter, but in all the chapters, color, fading, and an almost blurriness creates for a more visually effortless viewing.
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