It's 1954. The American occupation of Japan had ended a few years before, and Japanese cinema is beginning to make an impression on the world scene. Released the same year as the original Godzilla, Seven Samurai is an essential classic from director Akira Kurosawa. Poverty-stricken farmers threatened with bandits decide to hire samurai to protect their village. This seemingly simple plot begins a massively influential film and an undisputed classic of cinema.

What Seven Samurai offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: a window into famed director Kurosawa's style; the plot that popularized the "assemble the team" trope; a microcosm for war, love, life and just about everything else; and the character Kikuchiyo--when you watch it, you'll know.

Show Notes