This film is one of the best I have ever seen. You don't see the time passing, so much the story takes you away and the rhythm is sustained.
Kurosawa's way of shooting has inspired many westerns (including an American adaptation : the Magnificent Seven by John Sturges) and this is understandable when you look at the superb sequence shots that punctuate the film.
Kurosawa also manages to develop his characters like no other and succeeds in making them endearing and more profound than their apparent superficiality would suggest.
The actors also play their respective roles brilliantly. Toshirô Mifune, to name but one, plays his character of Kikuchiyo to perfection and manages to make him credible despite his lack of seriousness.
The music also contributes to the special atmosphere of the film and the silences are perfectly distributed.
So to conclude my review:
Arm yourself with an open mind to discover the great Japanese cinema.
Be prepared because the film lasts more than 3 hours but it will open the doors to a black and white show which will transport you into a story such as one rarely encounters in the cinema nowadays.
Quite simply a masterpiece!