A poor village in rural Japan is
being ransacked by bandits. The elders decide to hire seven unemployed samurai
to help defend the people and the livelihood of the village.
Japanese writer-director Akira Kurosawa is
considered as one of the greatest filmmakers of all-time (his prime taking
place during the 1950s/60s). Seven Samurai is his masterpiece, but he also
directed many other fantastic films including: Rashomon, Ikiru, Throne of Blood,
Yojimbo
(my personal second favorite of his films), High and Low,
Red Beard,
and Ran. He
worked with his frequent collaborators composer Fumio Hayasaka,
cinematographer Asakazu
Nakai, and production designer Takashi Matsuyama
on the film.
Seven Samurai is near the top of
almost every critical list noting the top 25 films of all-time. It is the classic
epitome of the samurai film, and is an absolute must-see of genre fans. The
film is also a must-see for those looking to have a strong working knowledge of
the greatest films in cinema’s history. Like many Kurosawa films, it was remade
(reimagined) as the western The Magnificent
Seven (which is nowhere near as good). Seven Samurai is an epic and
somewhat difficult to get into initially for those unfamiliar with older films,
but it is well worth the time and effort, as once the story gets going it is a
very rewarding experience.
Trailer: Here
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