The 4K Restoration of Seven Samurai

Last month, I was in Chicago, that city with broad shoulders. While there, I learned, to my dismay, that the 4K restoration of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai would screen the day after I left the Windy City. However, I was thrilled to learn that the movie would be playing at Digital Gym in America’s finest city, San Diego!

Now, if you don’t know, Seven Samurai is like one of the all-time greats in cinema. Set in 1586 during Japan’s Sengoku period, it’s about a village of desperate farmers who hire samurai to fend off these bandits coming back after the harvest to steal their crops. This movie’s got it all—action, romance, comedy, a loss of innocence, you name it (read my review of Seven Samurai here).

I get downtown early, like an hour ahead of time. I’m real picky about my seat in the theater, and there’s no way I’m letting someone else snag it. While I’m waiting, I grab a lager from Lucia and chat her up about this wild, retro maximalist tattoo she’s got. Then, first in line, I meet this guy named Christian. We get talking about politics, philosophy, and, of course, the man himself—Akira Kurosawa—and Seven Samurai. Christian had never seen the film before and had no clue what he was in for with Kurosawa’s nearly four-hour epic. I bet he was glad when that intermission hit.

Now, I’ve seen Seven Samurai a bunch of times, but this was only my second time catching it on the big screen. The first time was forever ago at The Brattle Theatre. I’m not the film purist Quentin Tarantino is, but damn, that 4K restoration looked incredible. The visuals were sharp and just popped. What I didn’t expect was how the audience would react—laughing hard at Kikuchiyo’s (Toshiro Mifune) antics and “awww”-ed at Katsushirō Okamoto’s (Isao Kimura) innocent charm.

I gotta say, all that research I’ve been doing for VIKINGS vs SAMURAI is really starting to pay off. I’ve got a way better grip on the era Seven Samurai is set in. Like, I know the bandits’ helmets had these air holes at the top (tenkū), right? And I can tell you Kikuchiyo’s massive sword is a nodachi, plus the hand guards are called tsuba—Kambei Shimada’s, played by Takashi Shimura, is hands-down the most beautiful. I’ve also been noticing all the crests on our heroes' outfits. Little details like that.

In the end, seeing Seven Samurai on the big screen in all its 4K glory was more than just a movie outing—it was a reminder of why this film remains a cornerstone of cinema. Kurosawa’s storytelling, the unforgettable characters, the mix of humor, drama, and raw human emotion—it all hits differently when you're sitting in a theater, surrounded by an audience that's just as captivated as you are. So, if you get the chance to experience this masterpiece the way it was meant to be seen, don’t pass it up. It’s not just a film; it’s a cinematic experience that resonates deeply, leaving you thinking about it long after the credits roll.