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(out of 5)

Epic masterpiece by Akira Kurosawa, about a tiny Japanese village who hire seven samurai warriors to protect their village from bandits who are threatening their peace. The film combs carefully over the experiences of all the characters before bringing them together for their eventual goal, and is fascinating the entire way. Toshirô Mifune stands out from the cast as a goofy, irresponsible warrior who brings an extra air of cynicism to the group’s intentions. This is a much looser role than the usual stoic heroes he often played in period adventures, and he does extremely well with it.

Toho Company

Japan, 1954

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Screenplay by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni

Cinematography by Asakazu Nakai

Produced by Sojiro Motoki

Music by Fumio Hayasaka

Production Design by Takashi Matsuyama

Costume Design by Kohei Ezaki, Mieko Yamaguchi

Film Editing by Akira Kurosawa

Podcast:  My Criterions

Academy Award Nominations
Best Art Direction (Black-and-White) (Takashi Matsuyama)
Best Costume Design (Black-and-White) (Kohei Ezaki)