The peasants are then released, taking a single ryō. At other times, the movie plays like nothing so much as a roistering comedy western. They will travel to Yamana itself and then pass into Hayakawa through a different border. Rokurōta escorts Princess Yuki and what remains of her family's gold to Hayakawa, with Matashichi and Tahei traveling with them. Use the HTML below. The Hidden Fortress was the first movie Kurosawa shot in anamorphic widescreen (one tends to think of Seven Samurai, made four years earlier, … 'The Hidden Fortress' was the first use of 'TohoScope' by Kurosawa, and the film is rendered here at the 2.39:1 aspect ratio. “The one thing that really struck me about The Hidden Fortress,” he said in 2001, “was the fact that the story was told from the [perspective of] the two lowest characters. These are all great films centered around the samurai class in Japan's past. [2] The film was re-issued in the United States in 1962 with a 90-minute running time. Tadokoro shows a large face scar and explains it is a result of a beating ordered by the Yamana lord for losing the duel with Rokurōta. The film stars Toshiro Mifune as General Makabe Rokurōta (真壁 六郎太) and Misa Uehara as Princess Yuki while the role of the peasants, Tahei and Matashichi, are portrayed by Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara respectively. [2] The film which was compared unfavorably to Rashomon (1950) and Seven Samurai (1954) performed poorly at U.S. box office. The Hidden Fortress opens with a pair of lowly peasants, Tahei and Matashichi, bickering while wandering across a desolate landscape. And the two peasant farmers, pawns in the turmoil of sixteenth century Japanese civil wars, are easily identified as precursors of the `Star Wars' droids, R2-D2 and C3PO.However, when all is said and done, the comparisons are only superficial. The next day as the soldiers start marching the prisoners to be executed, Tadokoro suddenly defects to the Akizuki side with the Princess, Rokurōta and the farmer's daughter. Toshiro Mifune's muscular demonstrations of heroic derring-do in the horse-charge scene (Chapter 11) and the scrupulously choreographed spear duel that follows it (Chapter 12) is in the finest tradition of Douglas Fairbanks. In a now-familiar fashion, Rokurota and Princess Yuki fight their way to allied territory, accompanied by a scheming, greedy comic duo who get surprised by their own good fortune. Search for "The Hidden Fortress" on Amazon.com, Title: In 19th-century Japan, a rough-tempered yet charitable town doctor trains a young intern. 31 of 43 people found this review helpful. It may be more constructive to note some aspects of humor and character that are utilized in general. The story follows two greedy peasants in feudal Japan, Tahei and Matashichi, who are returning home from a failed attempt to profit from a war between neighboring clans. In order to keep her identity secret, Yuki poses as a mute so that she doesn't inadvertently speak in the usual mode characteristic of a noblewoman. A crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town. It’s not a flawless masterpiece of … The group manages to escape along with the horses carrying the gold. To do this the Peasants are tricked into helping them, with the promise that they will receive a large share of the gold when the destination is reached. General Rokurota Makabe and Princess Yuki need to escape into allied territory with their large supply of gold so that they can rebuild their shattered clan. Arthouse classics aren't usually as welcoming and entertaining as this. Writing for The Criterion Collection in 1987, David Ehrenstein called it "one of the greatest action-adventure films ever made" and a "fast-paced, witty and visually stunning" samurai film. En Route they encounter the remnants of the defeated tribe that consists, most notably, of a famous General and a Princess who are hiding out in a fortress in the mountains. This was Kurosawa's first feature filmed in a widescreen format, Tohoscope, which he continued to use for the next decade. [20][21] The Japanese-inspired video game Shogo: Mobile Armor Division (1998) features a level called "The Hidden Fortress", one of many tributes (including a level called "High and Low") to Kurosawa in the game. Jeff Napierala. The peasant farmers, with their quick shifts between cowardice, bickering , and thievery are good examples of this. There is, however, an overall sense of humor that permeates both `The Hidden Fortress' and the `Star Wars' films-as well as a strong sense of nobility in the central characters, Rokurota and Skywalker.That said, `The Hidden Fortress' seems to me to have clearly been made by a superior filmmaker. The Hidden Fortress (La Forteresse Suspendue) Quotes. Kurosawa always balances valor and greed, seriousness and humor, while depicting the misfortunes of war. That's it. A petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. Hidden Fortress was originally presented with Perspecta directional sound, which was re-created for the Criterion Blu-ray release.[4]. The Hidden Fortress Roastery Cafe is Now Open in Watsonville! [5][6], The Hidden Fortress was released theatrically in Japan on December 28, 1958. The Boulevard of the Bored. 352 likes. The Hidden Fortress Accompanying them are a pair of bumbling, conniving peasants who may or may not be their friends. Planning to evade the Yamana soldiers who are preventing refugees and defeated Akizuki clansmen from crossing the frontier to Hayakawa, the peasants encounter a mysterious man who takes them to a hidden Akizuki fortress. However, Rokurōta ends up in a Yamana camp, where the general in charge is Rokurōta's friendly rival, Hyoe Tadokoro. Original Japanese poster from 1968 re-release, Kakushi Toride no San-Akunin: The Last Princess, "The Hidden Fortress (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray)", "Screen:'Hidden Fortress' from Japan:Kurosawa Resorts to Hollywood Effects Also Pulls Little Wool Over Viewers' Eyes", "The Hidden Fortress review by The Empire", "The Hidden Fortress (Kakushi Toride No San Akumin) (1958)", "The Hidden Fortress: The comedy co-exists with a dark view of live's brevity, and Kurosawa devises exhilarating setpieces and captivating images", "Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age - Review", "Final Fantasy 12 the Zodiac Age review - A chance to revisit a much-overlooked classic", Akira Kurosawa Memorial Short Film Competition, International Military Tribunal for the Far East, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Hidden_Fortress&oldid=1014615967, Films with screenplays by Shinobu Hashimoto, Films with screenplays by Ryuzo Kikushima, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2017, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, Articles with Japanese-language sources (ja), Wikipedia articles with CANTIC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Toshiko Higuchi as farmer's daughter bought from slave trader, This page was last edited on 28 March 2021, at 03:47. It narrates the story of two peasants who agree to escort a man and a woman across enemy lines in return for gold without knowing that he is a general and the woman is a princess. The comedy co-exists with a dark view of life's brevity, and Kurosawa devises exhilarating setpieces and captivating images. It narrates the story of two peasants who agree to escort a man and a woman across enemy lines in return for gold without knowing that he is a general and the woman is a princess. During a sweltering summer, a rookie homicide detective tries to track down his stolen Colt pistol. Akira Kurosawa’s Japanese adventure comedy The Hidden Fortress (1958) is an imaginative journey of transporting gold and a princess. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. His daring, too, extends from that. Both are good at telling the story. In the confusion, Matashichi and Tahei are able to hide and avoid being taken prisoner. The one big problem with this business model is the seasonal nature of it. Finally, Tahei gives this to Matashichi to protect; but Matashichi allows Tahei to keep it. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him. [2] The film was the highest-grossing film for Toho in 1958, ranking as the fourth overall highest-grossing films in Japan that year. This Criterion release gives us two very nice audio tracks to choose from, both with their merits. In a now-familiar fashion, Rokurōta and Princess Yuki fight their way to allied territory, accompanied by a scheming, greedy comic duo who get surprised by their own good fortune. The Hidden Fortress begins with a pair of peasants, Tahei and Matashichi (Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara) who are trying to escape a war they have no part in. Near a river they find gold marked with the crescent of the Akizuki clan. The soldiers take the peasants to see the general, whereupon Rokurōta explains Yuki's true identity, and states that all of the gold will be used to restore her family's domain. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place. [13], The film has an aggregate of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 31 critic reviews. The Hidden Fortress (隠し砦の三悪人, Kakushi toride no san akunin, literally, "The Three Villains of the Hidden Fortress") is a 1958 jidaigeki[3] adventure film directed by Akira Kurosawa. Briefly it is a way of life in which the warrior's honor and purpose are tied closely to the needs of his master. Top 200 of all time 150 Essential Comedies. I'm not sure that it is helpful knowing that George Lucas found inspiration for his `Star Wars' films in Kurosawa's historical epic, `The Hidden Fortress' (1958). Akira Kurosawa's 'The Hidden Fortress' is a grand adventure film, exhausting and rewarding in so many ways, with danger permeating every shot; even when the characters are seemingly safe, the threat of backstabbing, betrayal and capture is always omnipresent and looming. Variety called it "a long, interesting, humour-laden picture in medieval Japan". "[10], Writing for The Criterion Collection in 2001, Armond White said "The Hidden Fortress holds a place in cinema history comparable to John Ford's Stagecoach: It lays out the plot and characters of an on-the-road epic of self-discovery and heroic action. a scene which would be updated nearly 20 years later in Episode IV with C-3Po and R2-D2 grumpily making their way across the vast desert of Tattooine. Key parts of the film were shot in Hōrai Valley in Hyōgo. They are later joined by a farmer’s daughter, whom they acquire from an innkeeper. The rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter. warning: may contain nuts. So, too, his reputation reflects that of an accomplished samurai. An executive of a shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped and held for ransom. Get unlimited DVD Movies & TV Shows delivered to your door with no … "[3], Upon the film's UK re-release in 2002, Jamie Russell, reviewing the film for the BBC, said it "effortlessly intertwines action, drama, and comedy", calling it "both cracking entertainment and a wonderful piece of cinema."[11]. From the ninth century, samurai warriors followed a strict code of ethical behavior known as `bushido,' which remained orally transmitted for generations. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Add the first question. View production, box office, & company info. 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