Seven Samurai

Masterpiece. This film is an incredible work of art. The runtime will probably be a bit intimidating, and it feels long, but not in a bad way. The entire film, the characters, environments, dialouge and everything just captured my attention and didn’t let it go. It’s a somewhat simple premise. Villagers who have no chance against raiders hire seven samurai for protection. The movie takes the well done plot and executes it flawlessly. The samurai all feel distinct and watching them interact with the villagers is so fun. I love how much the movie devotes to having interactions with as many people as possible so when they start planning everything, it feels like they understand so much more of the villagers. The landscapes are all pieces of art here. Not just the village, but the forest that the samurai’s travel through to reach the village, the section of caves that are seen briefly during another journey, or just the farmland patches, it all looks SO GOOD. The last hour is perfection. The movie uses its long runtime to build up everything. The training, character interactions, the plan, all of it. Once the raiders attack, something the movie builds up to so effectively, it’s so satisfying to watch all these characters do so much. To top all that off, the music is really nice and that final shot of the hill is a chef’s kiss to top off this incredible film.