Fifty-seven years.
In 1954, Akira Kurosawa’s epic ‘Seven Samurai’ was releases in theatres. In 57 years this film still remains culturally important today. Some say the single greatest Japanese film ever made. And it’s hard to disagree with them.
From the start of this movie, even as the opening credits were rolling, I was, with a lack of better words, flabbergasted by the beauty of this film; this thing is pretty. The silhouetted, sun-backlit figures look like paintings in the opening scene. And the landscapes felt very authentic. I could almost smell the campfires.
Seven Samurai is perfect. For a movie of three hours, I felt like it could have gone on another three and I wouldn’t be complaining as it had a great pace and timing.
I could go on another 10 pages just gushing over the setup, but what I’d like to wrap this up with is what I took from this film; How do you judge a man’s value? Is a poor farmer’s heart not as rich as that of a wealthy man? Is the love of a farmer for a samurai to be judged? And in the end, who won the battle?
Kurosawa is a revolutionist, raising the bar of cinema, so that future films, even 57 years from his creation, can capture the audience in epic storytelling. The legendary samurai live on.
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