The 'best film ever made' is an epic 208 minutes with a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes

A "glorious" 1956 film with a perfect 100% on is now available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV. Some 102 professional critics gave the 208-minute epic a and it fared nearly as high among the audience, having scored 97% across more than 50,000 reviews.

Directed by Akira Kurosawa and set in 16th-century Japan, Seven Samurai follows a poor farming village as it decides to hire seven ronin, masterless samurai, to help defend their village after learning they will be attacked by bandits after the next harvest. Under Kurosawa's masterful direction, the epic unfolds with restraint and purpose, exploring themes of duty, sacrifice, and human connection.

One Rotten Tomatoes critic wrote: "The glorious vigour and strength of this film is presented with such theatrical relish and flair: its energy flashes out of the screen like a sword."

Another acclaimed: "Seven Samurai is one of the crown jewels of cinema, a movie that could be screened for visiting aliens in order to show what the art form can achieve."

A third simply said: "Kurosawa's epic adventure masterpiece is one of the best films ever made," while another added it was "among the best of the best action films".

A fourth hailed: "Although Kurosawa blends the styles of Japanese cinema with Western sensibilities, the buildup of suspense is approached in near complete contrast to that of modern movies."

Led by the wise and seasoned Kambei, the film follows the village as the samurai prepares them for battle by fortifying the village and training them to fight.

Despite initial tensions, an unlikely alliance begins to form and as the bandits return, a series of strategic and hard-fought battles ensue.