Seven Samurai (1954)
While I should in theory like samurai movies with their similarities to westerns, they just don’t click with me the same way. I did quite like Harakiri with its more philosophical approach and Ran was absolutely gorgeous and impressively well made. Of course Kurosawa couldn’t have made that if he didn’t made this 30 years earlier. No doubt its influence goes far and wide. I am sure Peter Jackson also looked at Seven Samurai when he made the battle for Helms Deep.
At more than 3 and a half hours, I was impressed that I wasn’t actually bored. The story is easy to follow, there is enough progress and development to keep things interested. However, it didn’t feel like its story warranted the epic length. The middle part dragged somewhat, but I liked how it started and ended. Especially with all the strategy involved, which really is the meat of it and not well choreographed fight scenes.
It is a good movie and I am glad I watched it, but it not near the all time masterpiece for me it is made out to be. Plenty of movies on the Sight & Sound list I would rank higher.
Rating: 3.5