SEVEN SAMURAI

 One of the most highly influential films of all time, and a genuine epic. A village of destitute farmers have their crops and lives threatened by a group of bandits. Desperate, the farmers hire seven samurai to defend their village.

The stand-outs are Isao Kimura as Katsushiro (a young samurai apprentice), Yoshio Tsuchia as Rikichi (a young farmer who first thinks of hiring the samurai), and Takashi Shimura (the head samurai). By far the best of the cast is Toshirô Mifune as Kikuchiyo, a crazed loose-canon who believes he is a samurai. He’s not always likable as he’s consistently brash, quick to anger, and eager to fight but he lights up the screen whenever he’s on (which is often).

Seven Samurai feels very similar to a western, is there any wonder why it was later remade into The Magnificent Seven. Other films that took inspiration from Seven Samurai include Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode VI- The Return of the Jedi (the entire last hour and fifteen minutes is basically the battle on Endor), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, A Bugs Life, Battle Beyond the Stars, Three Amigos, Blade Runner, Sicario, The Avengers, and more. Seven Samurai is credited as popularizing the “getting the team/gang together” trope, introducing the tactic of using rain to set the mood for an action scene, introducing the hero early on in an action scene unrelated to the rest of the plot, and some even claim it provided the clearest model for the Hollywood blockbuster brand of filmmaking in the ‘70s.

Seven Samurai runs at longer than three hours. It’s LONG, but painless. If it were to get a proper rating, it would likely receive a PG. Some people die, but there is little bloodshed and the deaths are non-graphic. Believe it or not, Seven Samurai is pretty family friendly.

Seven Samurai has an incredible reputation, and the film easily earns it. Despite the frightening three hour plus run-time, it’s actually very fun and entertaining while it’s on. This is three hours that do not go wasted. Seven Samurai is a must-watch for any film fan, fans of Star Wars, fans of Westerns, and fans of blockbusters.

4.5 STARS