Seven Samurai

This is the nature of war: By protecting others, you save yourselves. If you only think of yourself, you'll only destroy yourself. Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" is film #400! I cannot think of a more fitting, more epic and more wonderful film to meet this milestone with. This is undeniably one of the most influential films ever put to screen, influencing every genre for nearly 80 years since its release. This list includes A Bugs Life, Django Unchained, Isle of Dogs, The Two Towers, Fury Road, Road Warrior, Magnificent Seven, Star Wars IV, V and IV. It also acts as an influence on certain episodes of The Mandalorian and countless other pieces of media. Its influence is also prevelant in comparing the music from this film to the Emperor's theme from Star Wars, that eerie humming is unmistakable. The action of this film is also stellar, using violence, scale, imagination and the pure awesomeness of samurai to their fullest. It does so many elements so well, romance, philosophy, combat, ideology and class. It really paved the way for films like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and large amounts of the spaghetti westerns we were blessed with in the decades that followed. This films pacing is also a masterclass in itself, I didn't expect a 3 hour and 27 minute film including a five minute intermission to fly by like this one did. It is stunning in that sense, genuinely felt like a 2 hour film at most. The characters across the board are so entertaining and engrossing, even without being able to understand the original language it was filmed in. Kikyuchio is my favourite character, his unhinged behaviour and brilliant monologue about why the farmers are scared of samurai is one for the history books. His final stand is also super interesting to watch as he fights through a gunshot wound to kill the final bandit in the pouring rain. A really wonderful movie that brings so many brilliant elements together and blows you away, wow!