To celebrate its 70th anniversary, Akira Kurosawa’s black-and-white epic Seven Samurai is coming back to theaters with a new 4K restoration.
Arguably the crowning achievement of one of the world’s most lauded filmmakers, the film depicts a small village in the 16th century that is threatened by bandits. To protect themselves from the invaders, the farmers go in search of ronin — master-less samurai for hire — who can ward off the marauders and keep the village safe.
One of the film’s co-writers, Shinobu Hashimoto, found the process of putting together Seven Samurai so exhausting that he checked himself into a hospital. “I thought I’d never be able to write anything as good ever again,” he said. “On the other hand, I thought since…