Lessons On Movies.com
  Free Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on Seven Samurai

  GAMES:

  • Fill-in-the-blank
  • Matching
  • Hangman
  • Flash cards
  • Sentence jumble
  • Missing words
  • No letters
  • Crossword puzzle

Seven Samurai is a 1954 Japanese adventure drama co-written, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The film takes place in 1587 during a time when many states in Japan were at war. It follows the story of a village of farmers that hire seven masterless samurai (ronin) to fight bandits who steal their crops. The film was the first samurai movie that Kurosawa ever directed. He had originally wanted to direct a film about a single day in the life of a samurai but later discovered in his research a story about samurai defending farmers. The film was originally going to be called Six Samurai until Kurosawa decided to create a seventh character who was a little different and had an appealing, zany personality.

Seven Samurai is described as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. It is one of a select few Japanese films to become widely known in the West and was voted onto Sight & Sound's list of the ten greatest films of all time in 1982. It ranked #1 in Empire magazine's "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema" in 2010. It was the single largest movie ever made by a Japanese filmmaker at the time and was a technical and creative masterpiece. At 207 minutes long, it was the longest picture of Kurosawa's career. Its influence can be clearly witnessed in many Hollywood movies that have been made since, especially those that have a group of heroes all fighting for the same cause.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Samurai

  TRAILER AND POSTER

SEVEN SAMURAI POSTER

1. SIX WORDS: Look at the poster and write down six words (more if you like) that you think of as you look at it. Share the words with your partner(s). Why did you choose them?

2. STORY: Talk about what you think the story of the movie is – the start, beginning, end, etc. Change partners and share stories.

3. CREDITS: Look at the credits on the poster (the actors, director, producer…) and talk about them with your partner(s).

4. MUST-SEE: Talk with your partner(s) about whether the poster and movie title are good and make you want to see the movie.

5. STARRING YOU: Imagine you are one of the stars of the movie. Talk about your role with your movie star partner(s).

SEVEN SAMURAI TRAILER

1. RETELL: Watch the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

2. CHUNKS: Watch 10-to-15 second chunks of the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

3. QUIZ: Watch the trailer and write down some quiz questions for your partner(s). Watch a second time to find the answers to the questions.

4. VOCABULARY: Make a note of words in the trailer that you see or hear. Talk about them with your partner(s).

5. GOOD / BAD: Watch the trailer and write down why you think the film might be good or bad. Share your ideas with your partner(s).

  MATCHING

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	takes place	a.	broadly
2	hire	b.	found
3.	originally	c.	reason
4.	discovered	d.	is set
5.	zany	e.	work of art
6.	influential	f.	take on
7.	widely	g.	important
8.	masterpiece	h.	crazy
9.	witnessed	i.	initially
10.	cause	j.	seen

PHRASE MATCH

1.	The film takes	a.	influential films ever made
2	during a time when many	b.	zany personality
3.	fight bandits who steal	c.	masterpiece
4.	The film was originally going to	d.	states in Japan were at war
5.	an appealing,	e.	their crops
6.	one of the greatest and most	f.	for the same cause
7.	one of a select	g.	place in 1587
8.	a technical and creative	h.	in many Hollywood movies
9.	Its influence can be clearly witnessed	i.	be called Six Samurai
10.	a group of heroes all fighting	j.	few Japanese films

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

Seven Samurai is a 1954 Japanese (1) ______________-written, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The film takes place in 1587 (2) ______________ when many states in Japan were at war. It follows the story of a (3) ______________ that hire seven masterless samurai (ronin) to fight bandits who steal their crops. The film was the first samurai movie that Kurosawa ever directed. (4) ______________ wanted to direct a film about a single day in the life of a samurai but later discovered in his research a story about (5) ___________________. The film was originally going to be called Six Samurai until Kurosawa decided to create a seventh character who was a little different (6) ______________, zany personality.

Seven Samurai is (7) ________________ of the greatest and most influential films ever made. It is one of a select few Japanese films to (8) ________________ in the West and was voted onto Sight & Sound's list of the ten greatest films of all time in 1982. It ranked #1 in Empire magazine's "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema" in 2010. It was the single largest movie ever made by a Japanese filmmaker (9) ______________ was a technical and (10) ______________. At 207 minutes long, it was the longest picture of Kurosawa's career. Its influence can be (11) _________________ many Hollywood movies that have been made since, especially those that (12) ______________ heroes all fighting for the same cause.

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	co-riwtent, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa
2.	fight adsntib who steal their crops
3.	the first samurai movie that Kurosawa ever ieddretc
4.	vrddseocei in his research
5.	The film was yinorllaig going to be called Six Samurai
6.	an appealing, zany styprleoain
Paragraph 2
7.	one of the greatest and most ieltunflian films ever made
8.	one of a lectse few Japanese films
9.	ever made by a Japanese lmmefraik
10.	a technical and creative etacspmeeri
11.	Its influence can be clearly seitensdw
12.	a group of heeros all fighting for the same cause

  PUNCTUATE & PUT CAPITALS IN THE TEXT

seven samurai is a 1954 japanese adventure drama co-written edited and directed by akira kurosawa the film takes place in 1587 during a time when many states in japan were at war it follows the story of a village of farmers that hire seven masterless samurai (ronin) to fight bandits who steal their crops the film was the first samurai movie that kurosawa ever directed he had originally wanted to direct a film about a single day in the life of a samurai but later discovered in his research a story about samurai defending farmers the film was originally going to be called six samurai until kurosawa decided to create a seventh character who was a little different and had an appealing zany personality

seven samurai is described as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made it is one of a select few japanese films to become widely known in the west and was voted onto sight & sound's list of the ten greatest films of all time in 1982 it ranked #1 in empire magazine's "the 100 best films of world cinema" in 2010 it was the single largest movie ever made by a japanese filmmaker at the time and was a technical and creative masterpiece at 207 minutes long it was the longest picture of kurosawa's career its influence can be clearly witnessed in many hollywood movies that have been made since especially those that have a group of heroes all fighting for the same cause

  INSERT THE VOWELS

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S_v_n S_m_r__ _s d_scr_b_d _s _n_ _f th_ gr__t_st _nd m_st _nfl__nt__l f_lms _v_r m_d_. _t _s _n_ _f _ s_l_ct f_w J_p_n_s_ f_lms t_ b_c_m_ w_d_ly kn_wn _n th_ W_st _nd w_s v_t_d _nt_ S_ght & S__nd's l_st _f th_ t_n gr__t_st f_lms _f _ll t_m_ _n 1982. _t r_nk_d #1 _n _mp_r_ m_g_z_n_'s "Th_ 100 B_st F_lms _f W_rld C_n_m_" _n 2010. _t w_s th_ s_ngl_ l_rg_st m_v__ _v_r m_d_ by _ J_p_n_s_ f_lmm_k_r _t th_ t_m_ _nd w_s _ t_chn_c_l _nd cr__t_v_ m_st_rp__c_. _t 207 m_n_t_s l_ng, _t w_s th_ l_ng_st p_ct_r_ _f K_r_s_w_'s c_r__r. _ts _nfl__nc_ c_n b_ cl__rly w_tn_ss_d _n m_ny H_llyw__d m_v__s th_t h_v_ b__n m_d_ s_nc_, _sp_c__lly th_s_ th_t h_v_ _ gr__p _f h_r__s _ll f_ght_ng f_r th_ s_m_ c__s_.

  MARK THE SPACES

SevenSamuraiisa1954Japaneseadventuredramaco-
written,edited,anddirectedbyAkiraKurosawa.Thefilmtakesplacein1
587duringatimewhenmanystatesinJapanwereatwar.Itfollowsthesto
ryofavillageoffarmersthathiresevenmasterlesssamurai(ronin)tofigh
tbanditswhostealtheircrops.ThefilmwasthefirstsamuraimoviethatK
urosawaeverdirected.Hehadoriginallywantedtodirectafilmaboutasi
ngledayinthelifeofasamuraibutlaterdiscoveredinhisresearchastorya
boutsamuraidefendingfarmers.Thefilmwasoriginallygoingtobecalle
dSixSamuraiuntilKurosawadecidedtocreateaseventhcharacterwho
wasalittledifferentandhadanappealing,zanypersonality.SevenSamu
raiisdescribedasoneofthegreatestandmostinfluentialfilmsevermade
.ItisoneofaselectfewJapanesefilmstobecomewidelyknownintheWes
tandwasvotedontoSight&Sound'slistofthetengreatestfilmsofalltimei
n1982.Itranked#1inEmpiremagazine's"The100BestFilmsOfWorldCi
nema"in2010.ItwasthesinglelargestmovieevermadebyaJapanesefil
mmakeratthetimeandwasatechnicalandcreativemasterpiece.At207
minuteslong,itwasthelongestpictureofKurosawa'scareer.Itsinfluenc
ecanbeclearlywitnessedinmanyHollywoodmoviesthathavebeenmad
esince,especiallythosethathaveagroupofheroesallfightingforthesa
mecause.

  DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

  SEVEN SAMURAI SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about Seven Samurai in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	Student 1 __________	Student 2 __________	Student 3 __________
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.

• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

  WRITING

Write your own movie review. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other's work.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

  HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about "Seven Samurai". Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about "Seven Samurai". What are (did) critics and moviegoers saying (say) about it? How good were the actors' performances? What was good and bad about the movie? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. "SEVEN SAMURAI" POSTER: Make a poster about "Seven Samurai". Make sure you put tag lines, audience and critics' reviews, why people should see it, etc.  Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.

5. MY PREQUEL / SEQUEL: Make your own prequel or sequel for  "Seven Samurai". Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

6. CHARACTER STORY: Choose one of the characters from the movie. Imagine you are that character. Write your story about what you did in the movie. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

7. ONLINE SHARING: Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, Twitter stream, or any other social media tool to get opinions on "Seven Samurai". Share your findings with the class.

  ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	takes place	a.	is set
2	hire	b.	take on
3.	originally	c.	initially
4.	discovered	d.	found
5.	zany	e.	crazy
6.	influential	f.	important
7.	widely	g.	broadly
8.	masterpiece	h.	work of art
9.	witnessed	i.	seen
10.	cause	j.	reason

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Please check for yourself by looking at the movie review article at the top of the page.
(It's good for your English ;-)