Seven Samurai
Directed by Akira Kurosawa. Japan. 1954. NR. 207 min.
- Sun, Sep 12, 2:00 pm
Presented on 35mm.
In the year 1586, a village under constant attack from bandits hires seven Ronin to help them defend themselves. A simple enough story, but within that framework Kurosawa weaves a tale of honor, justice and camaraderie with stunning visual fluidity and power. It has no CGI, no surround sound, and it’s not even in color, yet it will sweep you along in ways you can’t begin to imagine. If it looks familiar today, that’s because it has served as inspiration for countless films following in its shadow. Roger Ebert even argues that with this one film, Kurosawa gave birth to the genre conventions that have employed action heroes for the last 50 years. (Ted The Fiddler)