What is the best Akira Kurosawa movie of all time?

From samurai epics to intimate character studies, Kurosawa's filmography spans decades of breathtaking cinematic invention — spanning black-and-white masterworks and sweeping color epics alike. Which one stands above the rest?

1. 1
   Seven Samurai

   An epic tale of seven samurai hired to defend a poor village from ruthless bandits, widely considered one of the greatest films ever made.
2. 2
   Rashomon

   A murder in a grove is recounted by four witnesses, each with their own contradictory version of events, in this landmark exploration of truth and perception.
3. 3
   Yojimbo

   A wandering samurai plays two warring crime families against each other in a corrupt town, inspiring countless Western films.
4. 4
   Sanjuro

   The scruffy ronin Sanjuro helps a group of naive young samurai navigate clan politics and corruption in this witty sequel to Yojimbo.
5. 5
   Ran

   An aging warlord divides his kingdom among his three sons, unleashing treachery, war, and tragedy in Kurosawa's magnificent adaptation of King Lear.
6. 6
   Ikiru

   A dying bureaucrat spends his final months searching for meaning and ultimately finds purpose in completing one small, lasting good deed for his community.
7. 7
   Kagemusha

   A petty thief is chosen to impersonate a dying warlord in this visually stunning meditation on war, identity, and the illusion of power.
8. 8
   High and Low

   A wealthy businessman faces a moral crisis when kidnappers accidentally abduct his chauffeur's son instead of his own in this gripping crime thriller.
9. 9
   The Hidden Fortress

   Two greedy peasants unwittingly aid a general and a princess escaping enemy territory, the film that directly inspired George Lucas's Star Wars.
10. 10
    Dersu Uzala

    A Russian explorer and a wise Siberian hunter form a deep friendship while surveying the remote wilderness in this Oscar-winning Soviet-Japanese co-production.
11. 11
    Stray Dog

    A young detective searches desperately for his stolen pistol through the sweltering ruins of postwar Tokyo in this tense noir thriller.
12. 12
    Dreams

    Kurosawa's most personal film, a series of eight visually stunning vignettes inspired by his own dreams, exploring nature, war, and the human condition.