KUROSAWA Akira’s 1954 classic SEVEN SAMURAI tells the tale of feudal class and warfare in ancient Japan. A village under fire from bandits calls on seven swordsmen wandering the countryside to help rid them of marauders threatening to destroy their village. With the aid of the elder samurai SHIMADA Kanbei and six other fellow mercenaries with no status or income, the village prepares to battle the anonymous threat on horseback while battling the bitterness they keep for their hired swordsmen.