cindel-2 Review of Seven Samurai

Seven Samurai (1954)

A really great epic film, beautifully told with stunning acting

[10/10 · 23 October 2000]

This is one of those great epic films that stands the test of time. I only saw this film for the first time in 2000, almost 50 years after it was made, and was astounded by it. It was an epic that truly told the whole story. Whereas most movies today manage to skirt around huge chunks of what would happen, this movie manages to show them all, and not in a boring way. The samurai don't even reach the village in danger until more than 30 minutes into the film, all that time being spent getting to know each of the characters and the motivation and history behind them. We get to truly learn what it takes to be a samurai, and what truly sets them apart. By the time we arrive at the village we have become attached to some of the samurai in a very personal way, respecting each of them in their own way. The rest of the movie progresses as if it were a documentary, not a fictional film, where we see each and every piece of the grand puzzle that happens in this village. I can't recommend this film enough, though I must throw a disclaimer out that if you're not a fan of epic movies with subtitles you may not be as interested. It is a 3 1/2 hour long movie! But if you can find the time to sit down and watch it, I doubt you'll be very disappointed.