User Reviews

Legendary director Akira Kurosawa has made a lot of great films, many of which have gone on to inspire whole areas of cinema. While Hidden Fortress doesn't represent his best, most influential or most important work; it's definitely an important movie in film history in it's own right, and besides that, it's a damn good movie to boot. I was most surprised at the amount of comic relief present in the movie. When watching a Kurosawa film, I always expect it to be a serious affair; so the comedy in this movie made for a surprise, which was, on the whole, a good surprise as like most things in Kurosawa's films; it works. The film has become most famous recently for the many parallels that it has with the masterpiece 'Star Wars', and it has become well documented that this film was a major influence on said movie, which is shown most clearly by the fact that a lot of the story is shown through the eyes of two bumbling people that aren't all that relevant to the central plot, and the style of editing; which George Lucas adopted many times in his epic trilogy.

The plot follows a princess who must be escorted across enemy lines by her general. Two greedy peasants join the escort on the promise of a reward of gold. Like Star Wars, the plot here is relatively simple; and it's the way that the story is portrayed, not the story itself, that makes this movie great. Despite it's simplicity, Kurosawa gives it the style of an epic; and it really feels like one. Kurosawa regular, Toshirô Mifune heads a great ensemble cast; all of which do well in their roles. Kurosawa had a great talent for pulling great performances out of everyone in his films, and he shows that talent excellently here. The cinematography is excellent, and the master director has managed to capture some truly stunning landscapes, which serve in adding beauty to the picture. This film is, of course, in black and white; and that is Kurosawa at his best in my opinion. While I loved 'Ran' and it's vibrant colours, black and white allows Kurosawa to blend atmosphere into his films, and they're always the better for it. On the whole, Kurosawa is a genius - and this is one of his best films.

George Lucas declared that this film was an inspiration for Star Wars. The similarities are very obvious.

There is a hero, actually a General undercover, and two bumbling fools that stumble upon the Hidden Fortress in the title. You can consider these two fools to be the robots in Star Wars. They certainly provide a lot of laughs. They are constantly being fooled as they help the general.

The fools, played brilliantly by Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara do manage to survive at the end and walk off together as friends. They are the most interesting part of Akira Kurosawa's film that relies more on characters than most of his other Samurai pictures.

Of course, there is the pleasure of seeing Toshiro Mifune as General Rokurota Makabe, whose mission it is to save the Princess, no, not Leia, but Princess Yuki (Misa Uehara), who has the same spirit that Lucas used in Princess Leia.

The rebel forces are, of course, fooled and the Princess and the gold they are carrying gets to a friendly province.

Another fantastic adventure by Kurosawa and Mifune.

I'm not sure that it is helpful knowing that George Lucas found inspiration for his `Star Wars' films in Kurosawa's historical epic, `The Hidden Fortress' (1958). Oh, there are a number of matters of content that seem quite similar. Though Kurosawa's story takes place in sixteenth century Japan and Lucas sets his in space in the future, the basic struggles are the same-the restoration of power to a princess and her clan. Some would compare Toshiro Mifune's General Rokurota Makabe to Harrison Ford's Hans Solo in `Star Wars' (1977), though there may be more commonality shared with Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker. And the two peasant farmers, pawns in the turmoil of sixteenth century Japanese civil wars, are easily identified as precursors of the `Star Wars' droids, R2-D2 and C3PO.

However, when all is said and done, the comparisons are only superficial. It may be more constructive to note some aspects of humor and character that are utilized in general. Kurosawa has always been willing to develop exaggerated characters. The peasant farmers, with their quick shifts between cowardice, bickering , and thievery are good examples of this. Certainly the first two of these traits were incorporated in the character of C3PO (the mechanical humanoid), but R2-D2 shows none of these characteristics. There is, however, an overall sense of humor that permeates both `The Hidden Fortress' and the `Star Wars' films-as well as a strong sense of nobility in the central characters, Rokurota and Skywalker.

That said, `The Hidden Fortress' seems to me to have clearly been made by a superior filmmaker. Both are good at telling the story. The `Star Wars' films rely heavily on special effects, to the extent, I think, that these are the central features of the films. `The Hidden Fortress,' while a relatively light weight work for Kurosawa, involves much more subtle character development achieved by means of acting skill revealed through visual composition and unenhanced camera work.

This was Kurosawa's first use of Tohoscope, a Japanese widescreen process. And he uses the screen frequently to develop character. Over and over again he uses the wide screen to develop and reveal character. The peasant farmers are certainly more complex than the droids, though they are simplistically exaggerated. Kurosawa chose to explore the situation of these piteous beings, buffeted about in the feudal wars of sixteenth century Japan, in visually reinforced wide screen long shots in those final scenes on the plains.

The code of the samurai is central to an understanding of `The Seven Samurai' (1954), `Yojimbo' (1961), and `Sanjuro' (1962), and even `Rashomon' (1954). These are all great films centered around the samurai class in Japan's past. From the ninth century, samurai warriors followed a strict code of ethical behavior known as `bushido,' which remained orally transmitted for generations. Briefly it is a way of life in which the warrior's honor and purpose are tied closely to the needs of his master. In this respect, he was to be selfless. His was not to understand or concern himself with politics-only to defend with honor the family or clan he served. For such a man the ideal was to be without fear-to always move forward in his employer's interest-without fear of death-only fear of dishonor. Toshiro Mifune's character in `The Hidden Fortress' is a military general, but his devotion to the creed and to his princess can be explained relative to this code. His daring, too, extends from that. So, too, his reputation reflects that of an accomplished samurai. An especially strong scene in this regard is the duel scene in which Rokurota's skill and bravery are what are prized and respected by his opponent.

Above all, The Hidden Fortress remains a great adventure permeated with humor and nobility. While the force in the `Star Wars' sense is never mentioned, it remains a tacit part of Rokurota's nobility.

Those who think that Kurosawa could only direct dramatic films need to see The Hidden Fortress. It is an exiting, funny, and extremely entertaining adventure film. George Lucas cites The Hidden Fortress as the prime inspiration for the Star Wars films.

Two cowardly soldiers Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matashichi (Kamatari Fujiwara) flee from a battle. The two then set up camp for the night, but soon they discover a bar of gold next to their camp. The two begin fighting over it, but before they can decide who gets it, a mysterious man called Rokurota (Toshiro Mifune) appears. He asks the two to help him transport a wagon full of gold and the Lady Yukihime (Misa Uehara) across enemy lines so that they can establish their kingdom again.

This film is a blast and is filled with plenty of action and humor. A departure from Kurosawa's usual dramatic films, but excellent cinema nonetheless.

The Hidden Fortress is the Kurosawa film with the lightest tone. It's almost the most mainstream and entertaining. So for those who may have found other Kurosawa films to be too deep and poetic (if this applies to you, you're a fool) you'll be more likely to enjoy this. Even though there's a lot of comedy, mostly provided by the peasants, The Hidden Fortress still has all the power and uniqueness that all Kurosawa films have.

There are some amazing locations used. The rock slide provided for some real amusement. Toshiro Mifune gives a much more toned down and subtle performance than we normally see from him. What Mifune offers in Hidden Fortress is true screen presence. Without even saying a word he has your full attention. I love how Kurosawa plays the characters as well. The Princess is not a damsel in distress. In any American or British film of the 50s, she would have been nothing more than that. In this she's quiet for most of the movie, but then she'll come out of nowhere and show more power and confidence than The General. The peasant characters of Tahei and Matakishi are more than comic relief. They are primarily used for a laugh, but I thought there characters were unique as well. The story is told from their point of view, and they are essentially heroes, yet they do nothing but complain. They're greedy and selfish. These aren't characteristics that would normally be used for heroes, but Kurosawa makes them likeable to the audience. Some people have said this movie needed more action. I think the action it has is more than enough. The chase scene that leads into The General's encounter with his nemesis remains one of the best sequences Kurosawa ever Directed. The choreography in the swordfight holds up against most of The Seven Samurai's fight scenes, and it still tops the type of fights that have become tedious and repetitive in modern day movies. That fight is a great example of how to nail the Hero vs. Villain energy. Akira Kurosawa can do no wrong.

Any Kurosawa film is worth watching, but the focus of interest shifts from project to project. This time around, his concern is the new aspect ratio of 'cinemascope' copied and renamed by Toho. Kurosawa is first a visual storyteller who scripts in pictures, each one dramatically framed. All his life until here, that frame was the same, but all of a sudden it changed.

It is a matter of there being three territories where there was formally one. The new territories are on the left and right, which in the original cinerama were actually two additional cameras. One really needs to study his framing in the old format to understand how significant this challenge was. He was master -- indeed largely the creator -- of a visual grammar and the rules had changed.

As with all his scripts, the story reflects his own challenges. So we have a story about three territories and a journey that spans them all. The 'middle' territory is under attack, and our characters must leave their fortress and go all the way from left to right to survive. (Notice the symbols he uses for these three klans.) The two hapless peasants represent to the story what actors represent to the 'real' enterprise of film-making: relatively ignorant, gold-chasers, likely to turn on each other, and liable to go where they are not supposed to. The story is told from their perspective. The gold in the story is hidden in sticks. The gold in the film is hidden in similar harvesting of nature by the eye.

(Mifune's pride and Kurosawa's control were much like that shown here between Mifune's samurai and the peasants. Mifune would eventually run away from Kurosawa's -- probably much needed -- overbearing command. Mifune would end up wealthy and celebrated in Japan. Kurosawa not so.)

At the end of the story, the peasant-actors are on a grand stair that mirrors a similar stair we saw earlier which was the scene of a huge conflict (in turn mirroring the battle on Eisenstein's Odessa steps in 'Potemkin'). But this second time, we are at peace, the frame is serene. Kurosawa has wrestled this new eye and mastered it.

Kurosawa did not respond to the wide format like his American peers who preferred awesome panoramas. His approach to framing had always been layered, usually three layers of activity in fore, middle and background. Here, he was able to relax the axis so that the layers did not have be so much on top of one another. And he reinvented his strategy of panning of motion: compare a running sequence here to the famous woodcutter's running in the beginning of 'Rashomon.' Look at how he panned the General's attack on horseback. He still does diagonals, but fewer, less steep and with less static import. He now has more natural horizontals in his greytone/greystone arrangements so has to create more artificial verticals.

Obligatory Star Wars comment:

I am sure Lucas' film school professors would have explained the relationship of story and visual challenge this way. So that is the real template Lucas took in conceiving his project. His goal was a similar marriage of the visual (space) with story (Joseph Campbell inspired myth). His hidden gold is that miraculous alchemical element in Jedi blood.

In the Sixteenth Century, in Japan, Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matakishi (Kamatari Fujiwara), two rascals and greedy peasants, are trying to return to the city of Akizuki through Hayakawa, after an unsuccessful attempt of making money with the war between the clans of Yamana and Akizuki. While warming themselves in a fire, they find gold with the symbol MT. Suribachi of the Akizuki hidden in the firewood, and they decide to search for other branches. Tahei and Matakishi meet General Rokurota Makabe (Toshirô Mifune), who is secretly protecting Princess Yukihime (Misa Uehara), and without knowing their identities, they accept to escort and help them in the transportation of the gold through the enemy lines to Akizuki.

"Kakushi toride no san akunin" is a delightful movie, indeed another masterpiece of master Akira Kurosawa. The screenplay is amazingly wonderful, having action, comedy and code of honor. Toshirô Mifune is perfect in the role of the samurai that is assigned to protect his princess no matter the cost of the life of his young sister; Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara are hilarious in the role of two greedy rascals, ready to betrayal, cheat and risk their miserable lives for gold, and responsible for the funniest moments along the story; the very gorgeous Misa Uehara is stunning in the role of a princess, showing personality and a very noble behavior. Summarizing, it is a perfect movie, with fantastic locations and costumes and magnificent choreography of fights. I intended to use the saying "Hide stones among stones, men among men" said by Makabe to the peasants as the title of my review, but I noted that another IMDb user had the same idea. I read on the cover of the DVD that George Lucas inspired his franchising "Star Wars" in this movie. This was the first time that I watched "Kakushi toride no san akunin", which was unknown for me, and I really recommend it to any audience. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "A Fortaleza Escondida" ("The Hidden Fortress")

It´s the lightest of Kurosawas samurai epics and even if it looks more like a common adventure/comedy then a masterpiece it´s over two hours with great fun.George Lucas has really been inspired by this film when he made star wars(this is as good if not better).Toshiro Mifune is one of my favorite actors and in this he plays brilliant(as always).One of Kurosawas personal favorites.4,5/5

Here we have another great samurai epic from masterful Akira Kurosawa. This film is one of the many fantastic samurai films Kurosawa created in his hay-day. This one falls in line with the long stretch of these great films, and stands as just another great piece of art from Kurosawa. The one thing that does allow it to stand apart is it's being told from the perspective of two of the lesser characters. The story follows two thieves who, in the midst of a territory war, are searching for hidden gold. They meet up with a samurai general of one of the warring clans. They team up with this samurai (played by the always magnificent Toshiro Mifune) as he attempts to get his princess out of the dangerous territory and escort her to safety. However, the best part of this plot is that it is credited as being one of the major influences for George Lucas' Star Wars (1977). The two peasant thieves the plot follows are the basis for the characters of C-3PO and R2-D2. In fact, these two characters had a major influence on character archetypes and practically set the archetype for the goofy pair of friends we see time after time.

The Hidden Fortress, overall, has a much lighter tone than some of Kurosawa's other films set in the same setting. While most of his films have that element of subtle dark humor, The Hidden Fortress could be considered a true comedy at times, mainly due to the shenanigans of the two oddball protagonists. But at it's core, The Hidden Fortress is a true action adventure film that has plenty of fun doing what it's doing. It has its darker moments, but it stays above the dark water for the majority of the film. It's plenty entertaining and the story never dwindles or drags. The two peasants are incredibly entertaining, and while they are more caricatures than anything else, they add so much to the film and are really what drive this film's lighter heart.

This film might be lighter, but Kurosawa obviously doesn't skimp on the artistry for a second. He heavily employs the use of very long takes for this film, which has a great effect in unexpected places. Kurosawa artistically blends comic relief and more serious action in such a great way that it is easy to get lost in the film when looking at it as a whole. There is no shortage of immaculate action sequences that are as stylistically brilliant as they are awesome and entertaining to watch. There is one particular duel involving spears that stands out in my mind as a near perfect blend of being ridiculously cool, as well as beautiful to witness unfold. It's hard not to be at least mildly entertained by this exciting film.

The Hidden Fortress doesn't quite reach to the same level of epic grandeur that some of Kurosawa's other samurai films do, but it fits right in with his collection of great films. No two Kurosawa films are quite the same so it is hard to say that any of his films don't stand out among the rest but if I had to choose one I'd say it was The Hidden Fortress. The highest point of this film would definitely be it's influence on not only Star Wars but the character archetype the two peasant friends fill. The Hidden Fortress is simply just another great film from an amazing director.

I think there are three great thresholds or paradigm shifts in film that have contributed much excitement to film fans, since the great masters have had to cope with the changes and try them out. The first was the advent of sound, the second the introduction of a wider aspect ratio, and the third the use of colour.

All of the Kurosawas I've seen are beautiful poems. That this is Kurosawa's first film in Tohoscope, that is, in a wider aspect ratio than 4:3, is in itself an event. It would be 1970 when he would direct his first colour feature, although there's that effective use of colour in "High and Low" (1963).

He is able to utilize space so well that both are thoroughly magical, and here the complete impotence of our two antiheroes is reflected in the large emptiness surrounding them, that is, loneliness in vastness, as used by Antonioni to great effect in a few year's time.

I like his use of sand (and rock and boulders) in the film, especially since I'm also a big fan of Teshigahara and Imamura. They seem to have a life of their own, the rocks and boulders.

And his portrayal of the violence of the mob towards the beginning of the film; the most exhilarating sequence involving stairs, far outdoing the Odessa steps as the ultimate example of not only violence and aggression but appropriation of class dynamics (it's the mutiny here that falls down from above). And the way he shoots the crowded streets and interiors, something beautiful in itself and worth looking for. And Mifune on horseback, chasing the two Yamana men, both his hands on his sword; an iconic moment that might be equally only by Nakadai's similar moment, with his bow and arrow, in "Ran" (1985). And the rain!

And, and, and...

Directed by the legend that was Akira Kurosawa this is another of his samurai epics, but not his finest work.

It tells the story of two peasants who find themselves teaming with a princess and her general who are actively being sought by the military. With copious amounts of gold on the line they are motivated to stick with them despite the dangers.

Well shot, well acted and with all the usual quality you'd expect from a Toho/Kurosawa movie it's an enjoyable journey that runs into more than a few bumps.

The film has an alarming amount of comedy to it which is an odd fit, the content is very tame and the entire movie could pass for a U rating and some of the characters intended to be protagonists are less than likeable.

Toshirô Mifune leads and is great as always, Takashi Shimura is totally wasted, Kamatari Fujiwara plays the fool SO well it's always entertaining and Misa Uehara makes me wish she'd had a better career.

This is certainly a Kurosawa epic and I'd never try to take away from that, I just have a few gropes that I cannot get over.

The Good:

Wells scored

Strong performances

Perfectly directed

The Bad:

Some unlikeable characters

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Back in those days gold was considerably lighter

A pirouette is a common motion after being shot

Akira Kurosawa has got to be one of the most influential and inspiring movie-directors of all time. Back in 1958, there wasn't really an action movie genre. This was before movies like "North by Northwest" and "Dr. No" were made, which both probably are the most influential and earliest 'modern' form action movies. The action movie genre had yet to be given its trusted form with its formulaic elements in it back in 1958. This movie is obviously an early step toward 'modern' action movies and it obviously inspired many later movies, both action movies as well as movies in other genres. Of course the most notable and best known example of this is the first Star Wars trilogy. Lucas was obviously inspired by this movie and he uses several plot elements, characters treatment and sequences from this movie in his Star Wars movies. Some references are more notable than the others and you'll probably discover new similarities on every new viewing.

The story is simple but it's made unique through its storytelling. Instead of focusing on the main big heroic character, the main characters of the movie are two simple greedy peasants. The story is mostly told from their point of view which gives the story a whole different and interesting new dimension. It's a surprising and perhaps even daring approach of film-making but it works surprisingly well. It's not the story that makes this movie an unique one but it's truly the way of storytelling that does.

The characters are constantly on the move or traveling, which gives the movie an extra sense of adventure.

The whole way of acting looks totally different than the acting from European countries, America and the rest of the world. The style of acting might look a bit weird and perhaps also over-the-top these days, especially since we're simply just not accustomed to this way of acting. It gives the movie a style and feeling of its own but it at the same time makes the movie quite hard and not always as likable to watch. But the actors did their job and they served the story well, especially Toshirô Mifune, who always is a pleasure to watch in a Kurosawa movie. All of the characters are given a very strong own personality in the movie.

The setting in the movie are beautiful and the cinematography is good and nimble. Masaru Satô delivers a fine musical score for the movie, that fits the movie and its atmosphere like a glove.

The movie has some great action sequences in it, that maybe are not too big or grand to watch but the way they are captured on screen and put in the story makes them very spectacular and awesome to watch at the very same time. The whole spear fight after the already fantastic chase sequence was an absolute highlight for me. It was absolutely brilliantly directed, timed and choreographed. Perhaps one of the very best and certainly most memorable directed sequence from Kurosawa. Of course there is plenty more action to enjoy in this movie, although perhaps not as much as you would expect at first sight. The movie is more adventurous and entertain than action-filled to watch.

Yet again Kurosawa does not disappoint and delivers a masterpiece in his own unique way and with his own unique style. This movie is perhaps also more accessible than his other, mainly earlier, movies and the movie will surely entertain, even when you're not familiar with other Kurosawa movies or his style of movie-making and storytelling.

9/10

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Tahei and Matashichi are two greedy bumbling peasants in feudal Japan. They are late to fight in a battle for the Yamana clan against the defeated Akizuki clan and end up digging graves. In the chaos, they escape and encounter General Rokurōta of the Akizuki clan hiding in the Hidden Fortress with Princess Yuki Akizuki and the remaining family gold. After Rokurōta's sister sacrifices herself in the princess' place, he takes the princess to a friendly ally. He tricks the two fools to carry the gold while the tomboy princess pretends to be mute. After witnessing an enslaved girl mistreated, the princess gets Rokurōta to purchase her.

The great Akira Kurosawa made this samurai adventure comedy. The two foolish peasants are kind of funny. I imagine that they are a whole lot funnier back in the day for a Japanese audience. The culture, language and time differences do create a distance for a modern English audience. They are obviously broadly comical.

In the middle of a war, two peasants trying to escape the fighting stumble across a man who persuades them to help him move his gold to a safer area. He turns out to be Rokurota Makabea, a famous general in the army of Akizuki, the invaded country. The two peasants scheme to enrich themselves at the General's expense, but he foils their every attempt. However, he is also transporting someone more precious than gold - Princess Yuki, the heir to the Akizuki throne. There is a bounty on her head and the journey will be a perilous one.

Not Akira Kurosawa's best work - far from it. Pretty slow-moving and dull, with little profundity or grittiness. Essentially one long, linear road movie.

Starts off slowly and never seems to find even second gear. Every scene gets drawn out to the max. No real focus either, just a long winding walk of a movie.

Making things worse is the presence of the two peasants. Incredibly irritating and silly characters, they are largely responsible for the movie feeling so lacking in substance. Whether through bad writing, direction, casting or performance - I suspect a combination of the four - they have a profoundly negative impact on the movie.

After dealing with some rather heavy material in Seven Samuari, Donsoko, and Throne of Blood, Akira Kurosawa decided to give a little light-hearted entertainment in this pure fun tale of a general and princess trying to smuggle gold out of enemy territory while having the aid of two bumbling and greedy peasants.

Here, unlike nearly any film made at the time, the story is told through these lowly characters' eyes. From the opening sequence, we are introduced to these two peasants who seem more like brothers than friends as they love to fight as well as look out for one another. Portrayed by Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara, they provide plenty comic relief as well as the vessel through which we witness this story. The veteran general is played by the great Toshiro Mifune and does his usual outstanding job of exemplifying power and authority.

Like any Kurosawa picture, the camera work and editing are absolutely top-notch. Using these two elements to increase the experience, Kurosawa creates a breathtaking story about honor, loyalty, and courage to do something dangerous as well as getting along with the people closest to you. Certainly one of his best, for all Kurosawa fans Hidden Fortress is not to be missed.

Hidden Fortress has to be the most watchable and fun of all Kurosawa's pictures. While he made a lot of highly entertaining action flicks, Hidden Fortress is pure adventure. The pace never lets down for a second, but Kurosawa still finds time for poignancy and humanity.

Kurosawa always aimed to adapt his technical style to suit the story and atmosphere of the picture he was making. Here he keeps his camera moving more than in any of his previous pictures, matching the speedy pace of the plot. He opens the film with the camera trundling along behind the protagonists, letting us know that we, the audience, are effectively following these two peasants on their journey. From then on this way of opening would become something of a Kurosawa trademark – you see at again at the beginning of Yojimbo and Redbeard.

This was Kurosawa's first picture in the scope aspect ratio, and he appears to have embraced it right from the start. This is very much an outdoor picture, and there are plenty of massive landscape shots with scenery reminiscent of the plains and mountains of the American west. There is generally careful symmetry to his shot composition, with characters or points of action in the dead centre of the screen, which is actually not that common. However with typical Kurosawa adaptability the exception here is the two peasants, who simply scramble or sprawl all over the frame. It's also not very often you see a black-and-white film in scope, since in Hollywood with its all or nothing production values Technicolor and widescreen generally went hand in hand.

The characterisation of the two peasants is perhaps a bit weak, as there really is no difference between the pair of them. While the two actors bring a slightly different manner to each of their characters, there is really nothing one would say or do that the other wouldn't. In his sleeve notes Philip Kemp describes them as "a less lovable Laurel and Hardy", but to me they're much more of a Tweedledum and Tweedledee duo.

The music in Hidden Fortress is one of its best features, especially the incredibly powerful and rousing main theme. This is probably the first really great score from Masaru Sato, who had been working with Kurosawa since 1955's Ikimono no Kiroku.

Despite the light feel of this picture, like virtually all Kurosawa's films from this era there is a warm humanism at its heart. While there is ruthless selfishness and little else in the first half of the story, the characters are changed by their experiences. By the end the upper class figures have learnt to see through the rigid structures of class, gender and that were so strong in feudal Japan. Even the greedy peasants learn to share. Maybe all that seems a little forced and unsubtle, but who cares? This isn't Kurosawa at his deepest, but it's great feel-good entertainment. At any rate, you come away from it feeling good about the characters.

One final point – while everyone seems to know that this was a major part of George Lucas' inspiration for Star Wars, has anyone else noticed the similarities between Hidden Fortress and Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly? A group of people who don't really trust each other and would as soon double cross each other as help each other, working together purely to get their hands on a fortune in gold, set against the backdrop of a war. Then again, these stories are as old as the hills and will keep on cropping up time and again.

The DVD version of the film has a short talk with George Lucas who used the two primary characters as an inspiration for R2D2 and C3PO in the Star Wars saga. Toshiro Mifume is of course the real star of the film but the story is told from the perspective of the two down and out peasants who've just escaped from a burying detail.

There is a lot of comic relief in the film and sudden twists that gives it a full spectrum of entertainment. One of my favorite scenes is a lengthy duel with spears. Mifume has just a great roll in this film as a general on the run with the sole-survivor of a defeated clan. It is one of his most light-hearted roles with an ever present "can-do" attitude. Another point for the film is that it has a clear storyline and is not overlong. It is a good start for those wanting to see Kurasawa films.

This is a Toho movie by acclaimed director Akira Kurosawa, starring veteran actor Toshiro Mifune. He, along with a princess, is escorted across enemy lines by two gold-hungry peasants.

The movie takes a really long time to start and gain any steam, and when it does, much of the movie suffers from slow pacing and scenes that tend to drag out to no end. There are some hints of action and good cinematography. Mifune is at one of his finest, but the actress who played the princess, Misa Uehara, seemed to yell out all her lines - displaying no range of emotions or substance whatsoever.

The premise and plot outline for the movie are captivating, but the execution of the story is a bit subpar. It's not an awful movie, just average at best.

Grade C.

Overshadowed by bigger efforts like "the Seven Samurai", its nature distorted by its status as the official "inspiration" for "Star Wars", "the Hidden Fortress" is a unique delight in the Kurosawa canon, balancing wry humor and deep empathy on the line between realism and fairy tale. The film opens and closes with the two bickering farmer/soldiers who inspired R2-D2 and C3P0, but they're nothing like their "Star Wars" descendants -- their swings from slapstick to base treachery make them so weird and un-Hollywood that Lucas' robots seem neutered by comparison. Mandatory viewing, for many reasons.

An inspiration for ¨Star Wars¨series and deserving of its magnificent reputation and winning several awards such as : Fipresci prize , Blue Ribbon , Festival Berlin Golden Bear , and Kinema Junpo to best film . Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece about a princess , a laconic general samurai and two roguish , oafish hustlers . Set in Japan , XVI century , amid Civil wars , when Yamana and Akirakis clans were battling . It concerns two wandering , botchering peasants , a valiant general and a beautiful princess , Misa Uchara, escape throughout the dangerous countryside in seventeen century Japan and they find themselves various locations run by two parties commanded by feudal lords and their hired thugs . On their way they meet mysterious roles , slaves, battles and many other things . It is full of injustices , inequity , violence and killings , due to the hordes of violent soldiers , murderers that inhabit it.

This is a magnificent picture by Akira Kurosawa starred by his ordinary actor Toshiro Mifune , being an international breakthrough one . Steeped in japanese style and transports us to Medieval Japan and the world of Samurai . The impressive flick blends drama , humor , violent fights , emotion , slaughters with high body-count and results to be pretty entertaining as well as thought provoking .The film confirmed Kurosawa's greatest strength and his innovative handling of genre . It is incredibly detailed vision in its own right , as the impact of the action and combats on this trail-blazing adventure film opened the floodgates for the huge numbers of samurai films that made fortunes for their producers in the sixties and early seventies . Dramatically staged sword-plays occur on and off throughout the plot . Very good acting by Toshiro Mifune as a general Samurái who attempts to protect and save his princess. This one made an international star out of Toshiro Mifune . Kurosawa's treatment is in part eclectic , there are reminiscences of Nicholas Ray's Johnny Guitar , John Ford Westerns , Serguei M Eisenstein's Potenkim (1925) and part truly idiosyncratic as the Shakespearean relations between heroes and clowns . Akira also uses a traditional style including the concept , symbols , plotting and utilization of Noh theatre music . It inspired Mel Gibson's Braveheart and George Lucas for Star Wars , 1977, and especially the two bungling peasants , Tahei and Mataschichi , similar roles to R2D2 , C3Po and a princess , Leia-lookalike , as well as Owi Van Kenobi like the brave general . It was clearly a big step from this to the delights of Yojimbo and Sanjuro . Being well shot in stereo and TohoScope , a CinemaScope version , and with a brilliant black and white cinematography .

This fiercely-charging , uncompromising pictures was compellingly directed by Akira Kurosawa and being exhibited with subtitles or dubbed .After working in a wide range of genres, Kurosawa made this awesome film . The previous years saw the low-key , touching Living (1952) , the epic The seven samurais (1954), the barbaric , fascinating Shakespeare adaptation Throne of blood (1957) , a Macbeth's version , a masterful rendition that transports the story to Medieval Japan , and a fun pair of samurai movies Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962) , and Rashomon , often credited as the reason the Academy created the "Best Foreign Film" category. When this film was released internationally to rave reviews, many speculated that Akira Kurosawa was influenced by Citizen Kane (1941) in the element of flashbacks that ultimately provide conflicting accounts of events. However, Kurosawa didn't even see Orson Welles's film until several years after . Rashomon won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, and first revealed the richness of Japanese cinema to the West. The successful ¨Yojimbo¨ influenced in the known film Leone¨For a fistful of dollars¨is mainly cribbed from this Japanese samurái action classic Yet , there was a quieter side to Kurosawa's nature , expressed most succinctly on Living , The Lower Depths and especially the medical drama Red Beard . After a lean period in the late 1960s and early 1970s, though, Kurosawa attempted suicide . Other important movies were : The idiot based on Feodor Dostowieski , Drunken Angel , Scandal , A quiet duel , Tiger's tale , High and low . He survived, and made a small, personal, low-budget picture with Dodes'ka-den (1970), a larger-scale Russian co-production Dersu Uzala (1975) an epic tale of adventure in turn-of-the-century Siberia and , with the help of admirers Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas, the samurai tale Kagemusha (1980), which Kurosawa described as a dry run for Ran (1985), an epic adaptation of Shakespeare's "King Lear" . He continued to work into his eighties with the more personal Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (1990), and Madadayo (1993) and Rhapsody in August . Kurosawa's films have always been more popular in the West than in his native Japan, where reviewers have viewed his adaptations of Western genres and authors with suspicion , but he's revered by American and European film-makers, one of his least well-known films but most agreeable pictures is The Bad Sleep Well , a transposition of an Ed McBain detective novel , being remade many his pictures such as The seven samurais (1954), as The magnificent seven (1960),The Hidden Fortress (1958), as Star Wars (1977)as Yojimbo (1961) as For a fistful of dollars by Sergio Leone (1964), in fact Kurosawa's style was the biggest single influence on the Spaghetti Western sub-genre ; as his Samurai 'Western's were copied not only in America but also in Italy .

This is another enjoyable outing from one of the world's most beloved film director, Akira Kurosawa. In my opinion its much more like a comedy, yet never ignored the serious aspects of human nature - which is why I enjoyed it so much. But when it comes to slash & hack samurai-themed movies of his, I think the Seven Samurai & Yojimbo is still unbeatable.

Its a bit strange to hear that so many have to mention Star Wars with this film. Okay so Lucas is a rip-off (a pretty good one though) but its free publicity nonetheless!

Also, any comparison between the two is downright stupid because Star Wars is purely a Sci-Fi movie and Lucas' directing skill is ... well, rather abysmal (but not awful, American Graffiti is a great movie - so give this guy some merit). Don't get me wrong, I love Star Wars and I think Lucas is a brilliant storyteller. However, Kurosawa is in an entirely different class, and like other greats such as Hitchcock and Godard, he is incomparable. I would list him in the top 10 most influential film director of all time. He inspired and influenced other heavyweight directors such as Scorsese, Spielberg, Herzog, John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven). Oh, and yes ... Lucas too, for those of you who are hardcore Star Wars fans.

In an interview, Akira Kurosawa said that he made THE HIDDEN FORTRESS as a deliberate counterpart to the earlier, darker films of his career; he'd just come off the back of his MACBETH adaptation, THRONE OF BLOOD (and, let's face it, things don't get much darker) and he wanted to make a lighter piece of entertainment for a change. THE HIDDEN FORTRESS is certainly that: it's a humour-filled adventure filled with action and spectacle. It's also one of my less favourite Kurosawa movies.

I like darkness. I like dark, violent movies that explore the depths of the human soul. Comedy has never really appealed me to me – my tastes in humour are very subjective – and this film has a lot of comedy. In fact, pretty much every scene featuring the two cowardly peasants is played for laughs, and their appeal quickly wears thin. I began looking forward to the (few) moments they weren't around, and dreading their return to the fray.

Still, the rest of the story is a lot of fun. Toshiro Mifune enjoys himself in a lighter role for a change, and gets to take part in some for-the-time spectacular action scenes; his duel with a rival general is particularly engaging. The scene-stealer of the piece is Misa Uehara, playing a princess who disguises herself as a mute for much of the production. Uehara is exceptional when given the opportunity to throw off the shackles surrounding the roles usually given to women in historical dramas and an intriguing forerunner to the later femme fatales who would populate Japanese samurai cinema come the 1970s.

The story, involving the transportation of some gold across enemy country, is solid, but the plot does take a great deal of time to get moving. I wasn't very involved for the exceptionally long-winded introduction, but things get a lot better in the second half, when the genuine threat of discovery and death adds suspense to keep things moving along nicely. THE HIDDEN FORTRESS may not be an example of Kurosawa at his most profound, but it's a fine example of the director at work in a different, non-serious genre for a change.