Seven Samurai

Seven Samurai employs a unique storytelling technique of gradually adding each member to the team over time sees a small village hire seven samurai to help fight off bandits. Seven Samurai was the first major Japanese film to be successful in the United States. The film has exceptional storytelling and cinematography and has inspired many spaghetti westerns.

Production

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Produced by Sōjirō Motoki

Screenplay by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni

Starring Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Isao Kimura, Daisuke Katō, Seiji Miyaguchi, Yoshio Inaba, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara, Kokuten Kōdō, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Eijirō Tōno, Jun Tatara, Atsushi Watanabe, Yoshio Kosugi, Bokuzen Hidari, Yukiko Shimazaki

Music by Fumio Hayasaka

Cinematography by Asakazu Nakai

Edited by Akira Kurosawa

Production company: Toho

Distribution & Stats

Distributed by Toho

Release date: 26 April 1954

Running time: 207 minutes (with intermission)

Country: Japan

Language: Japanese

Budget: ¥125 million, ($1.1 million)

Box office: ¥268 million[1] ($2.3 million)