The Caste System Ideology in Akira Kurosaw’s Seven Samurai

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The Caste System Ideology in Akira Kurosaw’s Seven Samurai

Akira Kurosaw’s Seven Samurai is a film that encompasses various ideologies in order to allow the audience to understand the lives of Japanese people during the 1600’s. The film delves deep in social issues of the roles of the people within the society, the expectations as well as the obligations within the respected castes and elements within groups of ; suffering, working together, protecting family and working for the better good of the community.

The caste system ideology is most clearly presented of all the ideologies named. The caste system is embedded in the Japanese culture as well as their way of life. Both the samurai and the farmers are bound by the roles that are imposed by the society. The samurai soldiers are proud protectors of the art of war, they accept their fate in battle as well as their duty to die for the causes they fight for. As the film comes to an end the samurai stand at the foot of the hill with the graves of the fallen soldiers, yet they do not mourn, rather accept the fate of the warriors and understand their place in the caste system. The farmers have a tough time gathering enough samurai to protect their village from the bandits. They are afraid of the warriors, yet they are giving up everything the village posses to employ the samurai to protect the village. After the village is safe, the farmers no longer want the samurai to stay imposing themselves in their village.

The separation of the castes is rather obviously displayed in the love affair between the farmer’s daughter and the youngest samurai. The two are actually forbidden to be together due to their social status. This fact is evident when the battles end, the village is safe again, yet the girl chooses to stay with her village than to be with the young samurai. The crossover of the castes did not happen in this film, to show how love can transcend all boundaries and last forever; instead the two fall back into their respected roles in the society.

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