Seven Samurai

Ikiru is an extraordinary achievement, one of Kurosawa’s finest for sure. It is an empathetic work of life’s pleasures, sorrows, and everything in between.

Whether storming a beach or a besieging castle, marching on foot or charging on horseback, in a historical epic or a fantasy extravaganza, battles scenes are some of the most complex and intricately choreographed of all action scenes. Capable of zooming in to a one-on-one fight between two foes or zooming out to show a …

Last Saturday marked the birthday of visionary director, Akira Kurosawa, on what would have been his 103rd birthday. For years, I have known the high regard reserved for Kurosawa but have never seen any one of his films all the way through. I vaguely remember falling asleep during Ran and Rashomon during my early teens. With so many films to choose from, I decided to watch Kurosawa’s winner of the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival nominated for two Academy Awards, Seven Samurai (1954).