Legend of the Eight Samurai

Japanese culture has a rich history of witches, wizards and warriors to draw upon, so it wouldn’t seem necessary to pilfer from Hollywood to create a vibrant fantasy world of their own.  But pilfer they do in 1983’s Legend of the Eight Samurai, tossing in elements of Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark and a dash of Clash of the Titans to craft an oddly endearing bit of made-up mythological adventure.

Hunted by an incestuous clan of supernatural bad guys, Princess Shizu (Hiroko Yakushimaru) picks up seven protectors (including Sonny Chiba) to defend herself and reclaim her stolen kingdom.  Along the way they battle giant flying insects and snakes – and each other - in a nearly suicidal attempt to fulfill the ancient prophecy.  The wild card is Shinbei (Hiroyuki Sanada), an opportunistic drifter who must choose between his evil lineage or his true love for the Princess.

Directed by legendary yakuza specialist Kinji Fukasaku, the film pulls just as many ideas from Message from Space – Fukasaku’s 1978 sci-fi mash-up – and The Seven Samurai as any of its imported inspirations.  But no matter where the raw ingredients come from, Legend of the Eight Samurai is definitely its own monster.  The heroic journey may be familiar, but it’s filled with some stunning matte shots, huge medieval sets and imaginative creatures that have aged into their retro coolness.  Fukasaku’s film is a young-adult crowd-pleaser that gets by on its unbridled enthusiasm.

Yakushimaru – a pop sensation at the time – and future Shogun star Hiroyuki Sananda work hard to create some Luke and Leia chemistry; even sharing a Top Gun-style love scene that lingers an uncomfortably long time. But it’s these desperate attempts to latch onto pop culture trends that makes the film such a pleasant diversion 40+ years later.  Anyone can follow a recipe, but whipping together a satisfying meal out of whatever’s left in the cinematic fridge?  Now, that’s entertainment.

Eureka Entertainment gives the film its North American Blu-ray debut from a new 4K restoration that really pops with color and detail.  Extras include an interview with Fukasaku’s son, a video essay from Stuart Galbraith IV who spills all the production tea, commentary track by Joe Hickinbottom and Japanese subtitled or (mostly) English-dubbed version of the main feature.

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