Seven Samurai

I think I've seen this movie twice before, but I was really looking forward to revisiting it for the challenge I'm doing. Earlier in my 40-film journey through Japanese cinema, I watched Rashomon and Ikiru for the first time, and Seven Samurai still features my favorite roles for both Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura so far. It's also the first film from the 1950s portion of my challenge that's truly exciting to watch. Kikuchiyo is a standout character, not only because he's funny and entertaining, but also because he has some depth and brings a unique perspective to the group. He gets a lot of the best moments in the movie and really helps convey the themes of class dynamics and the paradox of violence. The film also has a fantastic final scene. The juxtaposition of the farmers singing happily while the three surviving samurai reflect on their experience in the village, and Katsushiro realizes how disappointing life can be, is really effective. The shot of Kambei, Shichiroji, and Katsushiro looking at the graves of their four fallen comrades is very visually striking and also pretty emotional once you've spent three hours following these characters. I don't really need to say much else; Seven Samurai is already widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, and any criticisms I have are minor and can mostly be chalked up to the fact that it's over 70 years old. Next up: Godzilla