THE HIDDEN FORTRESS Movie Review

Kakushi Toride No San Akunin
Three Rascals in the Hidden Fortress
Three Bad Men in the Hidden Fortress

During the civil wars of Japan's 16th century, a princess bearing an important and priceless treasure is being chased by a ruthless enemy bent on her destruction. If you change the era and geography (or galaxy) you'll immediately see why George Lucas has cited Kurosawa's 1958 The Hidden Fortress as one of the sources of inspiration for his Star Wars. So much of that film's basic structure is here, right down to the bickering, comic farmers who tag along on the princess's journey (and would evolve into R2D2 and C3PO), as well as the stirring sword play, which would remain the same conceptually while evolving from steel to lasers. That being said, it would be a shame to designate Kurosawa's magnificent and rousingly dynamic adventure epic as simply the early version of something else. The Hidden Fortress is a true original; funny, action-packed, and spectacular, and one of the most deeply satisfying and elegantly structured films of Kurosawa's career. Clearly and inventively conceived as a live-action fairy-tale, The Hidden Fortress is further energized by Toshiro Mifune as the princess's protector, and by the boldly designed, widescreen black-and-white images. (If at all possible, see The Hidden Fortress in a letter-boxed version.)

NEXT STOP … Yojimbo, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Star Wars

1958 139m/B JP Toshiro Mifune, Misa Vehara, Minoru Chiaki; D:Akira Kurosawa; W:Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Riyuzo Kikushima, Hideo Oguni; C:Kazuo Yamazaki; M:Masaru Sato. Berlin International Film Festival ‘59: Best Director (Kurosawa). VHS, LV, Letterbox HMV, FCT, CRC