Lurple J. (lurple)

Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi) PG

The Seven Samurai (Shichinin no Samurai) Unrated

This is the film that taught me that great cinema is universal and transcends language, lack of color, age, a long running time, or whatever else might stop you from seeing The Seven Samurai. Perhaps 20 minutes into the film I forgot that it was black and white, I forgot that it was subtitled, and I sat mesmerized until the credits rolled. Combining a great story and great characters with action, wonderful performances (particularly by Toshiro Mifune, who is just astonishing here) and awesome direction, this is simply one of the best films ever made. This is my personal favorite Kurosawa film, and perhaps my favorite film period. Influenced by western films, it's entertaining to note that this was re-made into the western The Magnificent Seven. The remake is quite good but certainly a step down.