The Hidden Fortress (1958)

There’s not much I can say that would appropriately compliment the talent of Akira Kurosawa. He’s made many films that stand the test of time and has influenced countless directors. So many of his films can be considered masterpieces, and The Hidden Fortress is no exception. It’s a film that George Lucas cited as a major influence for the first Star Wars film and there are various similarities such as the use of wipes for scene transitions and opening the narrative by following two characters that are not as heroic or central to the plot as the protagonists. R2-D2 and C-3PO however, couldn’t be more different from the two characters that open this film: Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matakishi (Kamatari Fujiwara) are two incredibly unlucky peasants who after having a miserable experience during the last major war, are heading back to their village. They are friends, but often fight amongst themselves, the only thing that they really share in common being their uncompromising greed and desire for self-preservation. Soon they part ways and end up being reunited after getting into more trouble. The two actors do an amazing job managing to be both humorous and yet traitorous backstabbers at the same time. It’s easy to sympathize with them, but they usually deserve the predicaments they find themselves in. The plot takes off after they stumble upon some hidden gold and meet General Rokurota Makabe (played by the Kurosawa regular, Toshirô Mifune) and the beautiful and mysterious Yuki (Misa Uehara), who is actually a wanted princess. Rokurota is protecting a large quantity of gold and the fallen kingdom’s princess. His mission is to get her and the gold to an allied nation so she may rebuild her lost kingdom, but they have to go through their enemies’ territory to do so. The two peasants mostly just get in the way and attempt to rob the general and princess, but together, they all form an unlikely party that must accomplish an incredibly difficult task.

The film is filled with elaborate action scenes and Toshirô Mifune in action is always an enjoyable experience. There are a few memorable scenes that really stand out, and one is a duel between Rokurota and his rival and friend, General Hyoe Tadokoro (Susumu Fujita). What makes this duel stand out in particular is the length of the fight. In most Kurosawa samurai films, the duel is usually decided in one move, much like the quick draw encounters in the Wild West; whoever draws their sword faster is the winner. In this duel, they choose spears to battle with. The fight is shot with a variety of long takes, and goes on for a considerable amount of time. The two samurai lock spears and stand off again and again, destroying most of the camp in the process. It’s an amazing fight scene, the result of which factors heavily into the film’s climax, and one of the most memorable duels I’ve seen in film. Kurosawa again shot this entire film in deep focus, which makes everything, including the backgrounds crystal clear. This is part of the reason that his films have aged so well; they just look good. There are some amazing settings throughout this film as Kurosawa shot everything on location. The bonfire dance scene is one such setting and the hidden fortress itself is shown from nearly ever angle. There are an alarming number of extras in this film that make for some incredible scenes featuring literally armies of samurai or in one instance peasants in a revolt as they charge down a steep staircase in a castle setting while being repeatedly shot at. The film never really loses its momentum or tone and as the film progresses, the characters find themselves in some truly suspenseful situations. Though it feels redundant at this point to call The Hidden Fortress a masterpiece, there is really no other way to describe it.