The Hidden Fortress
Composite Score: 86.3
Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara, Susumu Fujita, Takashi Shimura, Eiko Miyoshi, and Toshiko Higuchi
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Writers: Ryûzô Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Akira Kurosawa
Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Box Office: $46,808 worldwide
My take on Watching This Film:
The Hidden Fortress is Akira Kurosawa’s period adventure film about two peasants returning from a war that they missed who unknowingly help escort an exiled princess and her loyal general across enemy lines. The film is probably most famous for serving as the story inspiration for George Lucas’s science fiction hit Star Wars (1977), telling its story of princesses, war heroes, and intrigue through the eyes of two common characters – Tohei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matashichi (Kamatari Fujiwara) in The Hidden Fortress, R2-D2 and C-3PO in Star Wars. The film’s editing – particularly the use of wipes as scene transitions – also left a sizable mark on Lucas’s sci-fi franchise. Though perhaps one of Kurosawa’s simpler films, its well-paced story, tactful use of humor in the form of dramatic irony, and universally recognizable themes of greed, nobility, and the harmful effects of war make it one of those films that you can’t look away from once it’s begun.
The Hidden Fortress’s winningest factor sits in the person of Toshirô Mifune, who portrays the samurai General Rokurota Makabe, who has sworn to protect Misa Uehara’s Princess Yuki. Mifune plays the legendary war hero in a way that keeps the audience engaged and his fellow characters guessing. When the moment calls for levity, he puts on a wide and infectious smile and laughter; when it calls for decision, he slips easily into the gruff military nature of the character’s past, and when those action sequences come, you fully believe in the legend of the man who can part a sea of soldiers at the mere mention of his name. He’s the perfect action hero to hold this film together, and it’s fun to watch him work.
Even if you have zero familiarity at all with Star Wars, the film’s story still feels fairly familiar and moves well across its predictable beats. It’s the characters, themes, and techniques that keep the whole thing engaging. From the film’s engrossing opening sequence – an extended uncut shot following the argumentative Tohei and Matashichi as they lament their failure to strike it rich when they went to war – it becomes clear that, though formulaic in its story, the film itself will be anything but that. This continues as the two peasants struggle to experience any sort of character growth at all, challenging the audience’s expectation of a good heart inside all of the film’s protagonists, which Kurosawa and his fellow writers seem not to fully embrace, keeping the rakish cowards at the fore despite their inability to grow as people. These protagonists then allow the supporting characters of Rokurota and Yuki to serve as their foils, not only in station, but also in character, standing for something even as their world has fully been turned on its head. The contrast between the film’s central figures then allows the themes to fully shine, challenging the audience to consider their own place in this fictional world of greed and violence – spoiler alert: we’re far closer in station to the peasants than the lords and should examine our own views of wealth and conflict if we’re to truly appreciate this film.
Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress is a well-put-together film that holds up all the better thanks to its familiar story with innovative beats and filmmaking tricks and a charismatic lead in Toshirô Mifune, which earns it a spot of greatness. The story’s familiarity and predictability might grate on some audiences, but those are the ones most likely to miss out on the wonder of the tale and the thoughts that it seeks to provoke. Currently, you can stream this film on Max, if you’re interested.
