The Director's Series: Akira Kurosawa, No. 4


Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey.

The Seven Samurai (1954)
Starring: Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura
Director: Akira Kurosawa
About: Most director's have a signature film. That's the case with Kurosawa, and that most memorable signature film is The Seven Samurai. If you followed my list of favorite Westerns last year, you'd note that I had two versions of The Magnificent Seven on it. Those films are both just western adaptations of what Kurosawa did here. This film is an epic in scope and length, clocking in at nearly three and a half hours. It also has a strong cast, including two of his frequent collaborators in Mifume and Shimura, who are both in other films that will be on this list. I like this film a lot and I respect the craft. It's impossible to have a list of Kurosawa's films without having this one on it. That being said, there are others of his films that have resonated a bit more. We'll see them later throughout this process. But if you've never seen The Seven Samurai, do yourself a favor and check it out. You'll be glad you did!

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