‘Seven Samurai’: How Akira Kurosawa’s Masterpiece Continues to Influence Filmmakers Today — Watch

More than sixty years after the release of “Seven Samurai,” Akira Kurosawa’s legendary epic continues to leave its mark on Hollywood. While the film is widely known to have led to the 1960 remake “The Magnificent Seven,” directed by John Sturges, “Seven Samurai” has also inspired filmmakers like George Miller as recently as 2015, when he released his epic sci-fi action film, “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

A new video from Fandor explains in depth just how wide ranging the influence of “Seven Samurai” can be felt. While films with enormous battle scenes like “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” and “The Matrix Revolutions” unsurprisingly borrowed visual elements from Kurosawa, some unexpected titles that were inspired by the plot of “Seven Samurai” include John Landis’ “Three Amigos” and “A Bug’s Life.”

Some films have even lifted dialogue almost verbatim from “Seven Samurai.”  The film’s “everlasting and genre-spanning influence is a testament to its undeniable greatness and its special place in cinematic history,” writes Bill Rwehera, author of the Fandor video, “From Seven Samurai to Fury Road.”

To see how “Seven Samurai’s” visuals, plot, dialogue have influenced filmmakers from Quentin Tarantino to George Lucas, check out the short video below.

From Seven Samurai to Fury Road from Fandor on Vimeo.