Seven Samurai
Akira Kurosawa
1954 | 190 min | B/W | 35mm

In sixteenth-century Japan a poor village is raided every year by a group of bandits until, driven to the brink of starvation, the villagers decide to hire professional warriors to protect them. With only three meager meals a day to offer as payment, their quest seems an impossible one. A simple plot flawlessly executed, Seven Samurai combines comedy, pathos, memorable characters, gripping tension and some of the finest action scenes ever films into an enthralling cinematic experience. Kurosawa's masterpiece testifies to his admiration for the classic Western and in 1960 John Sturges repaid the compliment by remaking Seven Samurai as The Magnificent Seven.

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Part of our Akira Kurosawa season