Akira Kurosawa directed 31 films during his career. That is a impressive number for any director, but it is even more impressive when you consider how many of theses are truly great films. Because of this choosing the greatest Kurosawa film is no easy task. I've always been partial to "Ikiru" as my favorite Kurosawa film, but "Seven Samurai" is a close second. For those not aware the basic premise of the film is a group of seven samurai are recruited to help defend a poor farming village from invading bandits. That may sound like a simple plot, but this film is far from that. The film is a complex and rich story told in three acts. The first is the recruiting of the samurai, the second is the preparation for battle, and the third is the battle. At over 3 hours long one would think this would be a boring film, but it isn't. The film is excellently paced and never drags. This is due to the great story, well-developed characters, wonderful performances, great action scenes, and, of course, Kurosawa's fantastic direction.
One example of Kurosawa's great direction in this movie is his use of "deep focus". These are shots where he chooses to compose it in order to get many subjects in the frame and in focus at the same time. By doing this he gives us a better sense of what is going on. In some of the shots we can see how every character is reacting to a situation at the same time, without cutting back and forth between them. In other shots he gives us a sense of characters and how they relate to their surroundings.
He uses this extensively in the second act to help establish the layout of the town. So, by the third act, we have a thorough understanding of how and where the action is taking place. Even during the action Kurosawa uses these wider shots to show us what is happening and put things in perspective. He uses camera movement and composition to emphasize the action, instead of rapidly cutting between shots. Some modern directors would do well to take note of this technique.
Watching "Seven Samurai" one might feel that many of the scenes are familiar. That's partly because the film was remade into "The Magnificent Seven" in 1960 but it also because this film has inspired countless similar action films since its first release. The recruiting scenes, the training scenes, and the fight scenes have been duplicated in many ways. There is even a scene toward the beginning of the film in which one of the lead characters shows his intelligence and talent by defeating a villain completely unrelated to the main plot. It's a nice character establishing scene that is ubiquitous in modern day action films. Kurosawa has been listed as an primary influence by great directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese. Watching "Seven Samurai" it is easy to see why he is such an influence. It is a true classic and one of the great masterpieces of the cinema.
One example of Kurosawa's great direction in this movie is his use of "deep focus". These are shots where he chooses to compose it in order to get many subjects in the frame and in focus at the same time. By doing this he gives us a better sense of what is going on. In some of the shots we can see how every character is reacting to a situation at the same time, without cutting back and forth between them. In other shots he gives us a sense of characters and how they relate to their surroundings.
He uses this extensively in the second act to help establish the layout of the town. So, by the third act, we have a thorough understanding of how and where the action is taking place. Even during the action Kurosawa uses these wider shots to show us what is happening and put things in perspective. He uses camera movement and composition to emphasize the action, instead of rapidly cutting between shots. Some modern directors would do well to take note of this technique.
Watching "Seven Samurai" one might feel that many of the scenes are familiar. That's partly because the film was remade into "The Magnificent Seven" in 1960 but it also because this film has inspired countless similar action films since its first release. The recruiting scenes, the training scenes, and the fight scenes have been duplicated in many ways. There is even a scene toward the beginning of the film in which one of the lead characters shows his intelligence and talent by defeating a villain completely unrelated to the main plot. It's a nice character establishing scene that is ubiquitous in modern day action films. Kurosawa has been listed as an primary influence by great directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese. Watching "Seven Samurai" it is easy to see why he is such an influence. It is a true classic and one of the great masterpieces of the cinema.