Legend of the Eight Samurai – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1983
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Writers: Kinji Fukasaku, Toshio Kamata
Cast: Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, Hiroko Yakushimaru, Hiroyuki Sanada, Etsuko Shihomi, Minori Terada, Masaki Kyômoto, Shunsuke Kariya, Takuya Fukuhara, Kenji Ôba, Mari Natsuki

Release Date: February 17th, 2025 (UK), February 18th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 136 Minutes 10 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 Japanese, LPCM Stereo Japanese, LPCM Stereo English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £17.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"The Satomi Clan have been all-but wiped out by their mortal enemies: the ghoulish members of the undead Hikita Clan. The last Satomi survivor is Princess Shizu (Yakushimaru), who goes into hiding to avoid meeting the same fate as her family. Left to wander on her own, she eventually becomes entangled with farmer-turned-soldier Shinbei (Sanada) and then a pair of warrior monks who reveal themselves to be two of eight fabled Hakkenden - or "Dog Warriors" - who can lift the curse that has been placed upon her family. Together, they must find the rest of the Hakkenden and take on the leader of the Hikita Clan: the evil Tamazusa (Mari Natsuki).." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information given about the transfer, "from a brand new 4K restoration".

Legend of the Eight Samurai comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.8 GB

Feature: 41.8 GB

The source looks excellent; colors look correct, image clarity and compression are solid, black levels are strong, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 Japanese, LPCM Stereo Japanese), 3.75/5 (LPCM Stereo English)

This release comes with three audio options, a LPCM stereo mix in Japanese, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Japanese, and a LPCM stereo mix in English. The two Japanese language tracks sound excellent; the English language track has some mild background noise. That said, all of the audio tracks and dialogue always come through clearly; everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English subtitles for the Japanese language tracks and a second removable English subtitle track for Japanese text when watching with the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), a video essay by film historian and critic Stuart Galbraith IV titled The Trials of the Eight Samurai (15 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Kinji Fukasaku's son, filmmaker Kenta Fukasaku titled Always Looking for the New (24 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Japanese cinema expert Joe Hickinbottom, an O-Card slipcase (limited to the first pressing), and a 20-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled One Idol, Eight Dogs and a Rubber Snake written by Tom Mes, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

When the undead armies of the Hikita Clan kill her whole family, Princess Shizu is forced to flee from her kingdom. She must get to the land of her uncle before the Hikita Clan finds and sacrifices her. Along her journey, she meets Dōsetsu, who tells her a tale about Tamazusa’s century-long curse on her family’s clan. Enlisting the help of the eight samurai who each bear a magic crystal, Princess Shizu is now one step closer to ending the family curse.

Legend of the Eight Samurai is an adaptation of Toshio Kamata's novel Shin Satomi Hakkenden, which is a loose retelling of Kyokutei Bakin’s 98-volume epic titled Nansō Satomi Hakkenden (Eight Dog Warriors of the Satomi clan). If the story that unfolds feels familiar, that’s because Legend of the Eight Samurai is also influenced by The Hidden Fortress, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Kinji Fukasaku's Message from Space.

At 2-plus hours in length, Legend of the Eight Samurai covers a lot of ground. Though Princess Shizu is the central character, Legend of the Eight Samurai is filled with secondary characters who play a pivotal role in the story that unfolds. When it comes to pacing, the narrative does a superb job building momentum. That said, there are a few lulls; fortunately, none of these ever derail any momentum.

Legend of the Eight Samurai has an excellent ensemble cast, many of them belonging to the famed Japan Action Club. The chemistry of its two leads is its greatest asset: Hiroko Yakushimaru (Sailor Suit and Machine Gun), who portrays Princess Shizu, and Hiroyuki Sanada (Roaring Fire), who portrays a vagabond named Shinbei. Another performance of note is Mari Natsuki’s (Onimasa) diabolical portrayal of Tamazusa, the evil queen of an undead army.

The most recognizable cast member is Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba (The Street Fighter), who portrays Dōsetsu, one of the samurai who protect Princess Shizu on her treacherous journey. Though he portrays a secondary character, he takes full advantage of his screen time. His character has the most memorable moment, a scene where he fights a giant centipede. Another notable cast member is Etsuko Shihomi (Sister Street Fighter), a frequent collaborator of Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba; they worked together on over 20 films.

Though Kinji Fukasaku has made better films than Legend of the Eight Samurai, one cannot fault his solid direction. That said, Legend of the Eight Samurai is beautifully photographed; moments when Tamazusa’s naked body emerges from a pool of blood and a wedding where thousands of petals float through the air—these are two of the more striking moments. Also, Kinji Fukasaku is not a stranger when it comes to epic films, and he does a phenomenal job creating grandiose moments in Legend of the Eight Samurai. Ultimately, Legend of the Eight Samurai is a fun film that often exceeds the sum of its parts.

Legend of the Eight Samurai gets an exceptional release from Eureka Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer