Parts Unworthy

Analyzing the traits of the Warrior Archetype across Seven Samurai

A Pioneer

The film Seven Samurai (1954) in many ways embodies the pinnacle of the warrior archetype. It is regarded by many as a classic film and a peak example of what Toshiro Mifune and Kurosawa could accomplished when paired together like in many other films they did. An article read recently, written by David Desser, sites another reason the film works so well (and all his films in general), is due to his unique 'western' style of film making. Specifically saying "he is a creator, in the Pioneer sense of the word." He implements western shooting techniques but also creates his own various styles. While this broad overview may explain why the film as a whole works so well, the main point of discussion is that of how Toshiro Mifune himself works inside the narrative of the film. His character 'Kikuchiyo' is a somewhat mysterious person with only vague hints as to his full backstory. Throughout the course of the film though, in an tenuous sense he does begin to embody the true archetype of the warrior.

A Struggle for purpose

Basing these points off of the video essay, Warrior Archetype - How films Empower Us, the typical warrior is characterized by a desire to take on the responsibility of protecting the world and making it a better place. They are always alert, vigilant, and tortured by the struggle to win and overcome any sense of evil in the world. This over time becomes their sole purpose. Mifune's character at first may seem like a bumbling 'wild man' so to speak but when called upon to come protect the village from the 40 bandits, he like the rest of the samurai are not being paid. In fact the other Samurai do not ask him to come with. He comes anyway strictly out of a sense of what he wants to do and acts on his own motivations. In the final battle he is more motivated by his desire to win and to kill his share of bandits than anything else. Though on the surface he appears to be an incoherent brute, on deeper analyzation he still falls in line with the typical attributes of the Warrior archetype.

The Shadow Warrior

There is another archetype that was mention in the video essay that goes along with the concept of the standard warrior archetype, That of the 'Shadow Warrior.' This is a variation of the warrior archetype In which the warrior is overcome with aggression and an internalization of the battles they face, becoming sadistic and dysfunctional as a whole. I believe Mifune's character may represent some aspects of archetype as well. He harbors much anger for the samurai class and many of his actions are motivated by his anger. I believe he is a man on the verge of becoming this 'shadow' archetype, yet eventually despite this comes out virtuous in the end. With this conflict in mind, it becomes clear why Mifune's character still represents the archetype of the warrior yet in a more tenuous sense as stated prior. Kikuchiyo Is a man torn between his natural desire to help and his internalized anger brought on by the samurai and his upbringing. With these elements in mind, one begins to see there's a lot more going on with his character than some may see upon their first viewing.