If the rising popularity of film degrees is any indication, audiences today are more film literate than ever before. However, just like students of literature and fine art need to become knowledgable of classic masterpieces in order to further their understanding and properly critique new works, so too must film students become enlightened by the most important movies in cinematic history, despite the fact that they might not be all that interested in movies that came out half a century ago. So if you’re looking to do well in film school or just want to prove to your friends that you’re a bigger cinephile than them, you best be sure to watch each and every movie on this list.
12. Seven Samurai (1954)
Seven Samurai is the legendary, massively influential picture produced by renowned director Akira Kurosawa. The story is about a group of villagers who, upon overhearing the atrocious plan of a group of bandits, decide to protect their crops and land by hiring a group of mercenary samurai. However, due to extreme poverty and food shortages, the villagers are limited in who they can hire. It’s only through sheer luck (or perhaps destiny) they successfully find seven samurai to help their cause.
Seven Samurai is an epic tale of class and cultural conflict that’s flush with pulse-pounding action sequences and heart-wrenching twists.
Source: Screenshot via Toho