SEVEN SAMURAI

PG FILM 1954 OUT 29 OCTOBER CINEMAS

Akira Kurosawa’s magnum opus, getting a big-screen re-release in its unspoiled, 207-minute version, has been imitated, lampooned, riffed on and ripped off countless times. Yet watching the meticulous and patient – but never ponderous - build-up as Takashi Shimura’s Kambei Shimada and his makeshift band of brothers help prepare desperate villagers against an impending bandit attack is richly rewarding. The magic lies as much in the quiet asides and everyday immersion in characters’ lives as it does in the epic finale. Still essential.