Seven Samurai

1954

A village is threatened by bandits. The residents recruit seven fighters to protect it. Using this simple premise, Japanese director Akira Kurosawa essentially invents modern action moviemaking, choreographing everything from one-on-one sparring to full-blown sieges with an eye toward character and drama. The climactic battle in a rainstorm is studied for a reason: Kurosawa cracked the code on how to use sound (or silence) and fury to deliver both emotional payoffs and adrenaline rushes.