Seven Samurai
Die Sieben Samurai
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| Poster Origin : | Germany |
| Poster Size : | German A1 / 594 x 841mm |
| Poster Artist : | Hans Hillmann |
| Poster Year : | 1962 |
| Poster Version : | Re-Release |
| Film Origin : | Japan |
| Film Director : | Akira Kurosawa |
| Film Year : | 1954 |
Perhaps the most striking of the many Seven Samurai posters, an altogether satisfying piece of thoughtfully crafted design, and a rare example of a poster that actually does justice to the Japanese masterpiece. While the footage itself is monochrome, all other aspects of the film are vibrant and varied, as this design conveys.
Hans Hillmann’s minimal layout provides an open backdrop for his colourful, chaotic mass of entangled figures. Through simple screenprinted shapes and negative space he creates this wonderful illusion, a perfect expression of the frenzied action from Kurosawa’s final reel. For his enormous 16 sheet version, Hillmann extended this design to billboard size to incorporate the whole battlefield, where dozens of warriors and horses collide in an overwhelming mass of movement and colour.
Taking the film right out of the equation, this is a beautiful and triumphant piece of art in its own right.