The Hidden Fortress
Directed by Akira Kurosawa. Japan. 1958. NR. 139 min.
- Sun, Sep 19, 2:00 pm
Presented on 35mm.
The story takes place in war torn feudal Japan. Two peasants, Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matakishi (Kamatari Fujiwara), have escaped from a prisoner-of-war camp and encounter General Rokurota Makabe (Toshiro Mifune). The General appeals to their greed and persuades them to join him in transporting Princess Yuki (Misa Uehara) and her gold treasure to safety. (Elements of this story figure prominently in Star Wars, made almost 20 years later). It’s been said that Kurosawa made this picture to help pull Toho studios out of debt, but it does stand up on its own in several ways. It’s Kurosawa’s first use of the widescreen format and he utilized every inch of the frame in his compositions. Kurosawa is also just having a bit of fun making a film of almost pure entertainment. There are still a few jabs at his usual social demons, but for Western audiences this film can also be enjoyed for nothing more than its action sequences, created by a master of the genre. (Ted The Fiddler)