Seven Samurai (Criterion Collection) (DVD)

It's hard to find a more oft-imitated director than the famed Akira Kurosawa, and this blazing, epic tale of seven wayward warriors who join forces to protect a helpless band of farmers from a menacing gang of bandits is no exception to this (the classic American western "The Magnificent Seven" starring such superstars as Yul Brenner, Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson, is nothing less than a direct ripoff made for American audiences). Starring such Kurosawa regulars as Takashi Shimura and the always entertaining Toshiro Mifune, Kurosawa masterfully weaves an array of complex themes into this beautiful story set in feudal-era Japan. The characters will command you, the action sequences will grip you, the comic moments will earn your laughter and the emotional highs and lows will keep your attentin for all 3+ hours of this gem.