The Hidden Fortress

The Hidden Fortress (Kakushi-Toride No San Akunin) (1958)

Runtime: 139 minutes

Directed by: Akira Kurosawa

Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki, Katamari Fujiwara, Susumu Fujita

From: Toho

As you'll see, this seemed like an apt time for such a review: 

The weekend that a new Star Wars film is out seemed like the most appropriate time for me to watch then discussion this motion picture. Even if George Lucas had never admitted this was a big influence on what is now typically known as A New Hope, it'd be obvious. The movie is from the perspective of two bumbling characters, who help escort a mysterious man that is actually a general and a princess to an ally clan so she isn't captured by the villains and she can once again take her place on the throne. There are other allusions (there are even horizontal wipes used to transition between scenes) but the story itself is rather obvious.

The leads Matashichi and Tahei are fools yet they are fun and not so dumb you get annoyed by them... although at times they definitely are scoundrels and at one point think about doing something pretty heinous to the princess. Toshiro Mifune as the general Kokurota-who basically what is known now as a romper-is pretty cool and not just because he is played by Toshiro Mifune. He's a badass character who tricks the leads into helping him and the princess under the guise of “a crapton of gold.” The princess is pretty tough and takes no crap.

This was Kurosawa's first widescreen picture yet he already mastered it the first time out. The variety of different shots were all great and everything is exactly placed within frame where it should be; the movie is dynamic when it comes to cinematography. It was well-edited to boot. The action you do see is memorable; the highlight is a duel using wooden sticks that pretty much is a light saber fight. But there are serious themes in the film too, such as honor and someone really experiencing life for the first time.

While I don't think this is the best Kurosawa nor is it my favorite, that is only because of who the director is and him having a career with almost no equal. The Hidden Fortress can either be watched by those who want to see what inspired a legendary franchise, or divorced from that you can still dig this adventure.