Renz
An Army of One
Often imitated, but never duplicated, this film by the great director Akira Kurosawa is one of the most influential films ever made IMO.
Set in Feudal Japan, Seven Samurai tells the story of a village of farmers who are yearly attacked by a band of 40 mounted brigands. In an attempt to save their crops and women from being stolen, the villagers enlist the help of a Samurai warrior who agrees to help them. He then recruits six other Samurai and they return to the village to help train the farmers how to fight back against their tormentors.
The plot has been adapted by many other directors over the years, from films like The Magnificent Seven to The Three Amigos and even Disney/Pixar's A Bug's Life. All I can say is that any serious fan of cinema needs to see this film.
Released in 1954 and filmed in black-and-white, I at first thought the film would seem dated or too slow by the standards of today, but I couldn't have been more wrong. The plot and characters pull you in and you genuinely care about what happens to the Samurai and the villagers. Kurosawa does a masterful job in illustrating the class struggle between the Samurai and the poor farmers and how the two have to co-exist if they are to defeat their enemy. Eventually there develops trust and genuine affection between the two groups.
Kurosawa also comments on the sacrifices that Samurai make when they agree to follow the code of bushido. The director does a wonderful job in depicting the hardships faced by the people of that time.
Don't let the sub-titles scare you off. This film is definitely worth seeing.
Set in Feudal Japan, Seven Samurai tells the story of a village of farmers who are yearly attacked by a band of 40 mounted brigands. In an attempt to save their crops and women from being stolen, the villagers enlist the help of a Samurai warrior who agrees to help them. He then recruits six other Samurai and they return to the village to help train the farmers how to fight back against their tormentors.
The plot has been adapted by many other directors over the years, from films like The Magnificent Seven to The Three Amigos and even Disney/Pixar's A Bug's Life. All I can say is that any serious fan of cinema needs to see this film.
Released in 1954 and filmed in black-and-white, I at first thought the film would seem dated or too slow by the standards of today, but I couldn't have been more wrong. The plot and characters pull you in and you genuinely care about what happens to the Samurai and the villagers. Kurosawa does a masterful job in illustrating the class struggle between the Samurai and the poor farmers and how the two have to co-exist if they are to defeat their enemy. Eventually there develops trust and genuine affection between the two groups.
Kurosawa also comments on the sacrifices that Samurai make when they agree to follow the code of bushido. The director does a wonderful job in depicting the hardships faced by the people of that time.
Don't let the sub-titles scare you off. This film is definitely worth seeing.