Search: Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Akira Kurosawa's first foray into widescreen is first and foremost a highly entertaining piece of work.

In the end what makes this a classic is the direction – stately and assured, with a keen eye for a telling image.

Despite its length, it never drags.

One of the greatest works of art in cinematic history.

Even now, the hairs rise at the back of the neck.

The film concludes with what is probably the most influential special effect in the history of cinema.

It's easy to forget that beyond its huge influence it is also hugely entertaining.

Once you have acclimatised to the style, this a film of stunning visual imagery.

Kurosawa's masterful synthesis doesn't stop with the script. He weaves a late Edo period samurai film, in its painstaking historic detail, into modernity.