This Kurosawa film won an Honourary Oscar as Best Foreign Film in 1955 just one year before Foreign Language Film became a category unto its own at the Oscars. It is such a good film that its premise inspired both the great American Magnificent Seven and later a television series. The tale of the great Samurai defending helpless villagers has become iconic not the least for Kurosawa's magnificent shooting style with astounding cinematography. As with most Japanese films of the era and even some present day films they can move fairly slowly, but that does not detract from 'Samurai'. If Samurai is the masterpiece of the younger Kurosawa, then RAN has to be his ultimate masterpiece as an aging filmmaker. This is a film to see especially if you have taken the time to see the American version of The Magnificent Seven.
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