Rating: ****
Review Date: 3/31/24
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara,
cameo by Takeshi Kato
Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matashichi (Kamatari Fujiwara) are a couple of poor peasants who tried to profit from a war between two clans, and are trapped in enemy territory while trying to get back home. Greed is their only motivation, and they constantly suffer for it. After being captured and enslaved in an enemy camp, they manage to escape and stumble across some hidden gold. This catches the attention of an incognito General Rokurota Makabe (Toshiro Mifune), who coerces the two into helping him find the rest of the hidden gold. However, his real agenda is to protect Princess Yuki (Misa Uehara) and smuggle her across enemy lines so that she can rebuild her clan.
It's a tense dramatic film where the heroes (anti-heroes?) are always on the run and desperately fighting for their lives. Makabe has his hands full trying to manage the haughty teenage princess and the bickering gold-diggers, but he's a remarkably skilled and resourceful warrior, and a cunning strategist. Toshiro Mifune gives an excellent performance and his cinematic presence is breathtaking. He's a charismatic and imposing character, and his action scenes are full of intensity and flair. At one point he stands in the saddle of a speeding horse with his sword raised, which is simply astonishing to behold. Twenty year old Misa Uehara makes her acting debut as Princess Yuki and also has a commanding screen presence. While Tahei and Matashichi are arguably the main characters, their story isn't particularly interesting because they're so shallow and unlikable. George Lucas sites them as inspiration for C-3PO and R2-D2 in "Star Wars" and chose to tell his story from the perspective of the lowest characters.
Akira Kurosawa's direction is brilliant and his cinematography is inspired. It's a fantastic-looking film with sharp details and deep contrast. The massive sets and hundreds of extras give the film an epic feel, and an underlying feeling of hopelessness and dread permeates the entire production. Arguably, the film's most shocking scene happens right at the beginning, when a doomed warrior staggers onscreen and is cut down by a group of armed horsemen. While this is a shockingly dramatic scene in its own right, as the killers leave, one of the horses kicks actor Takeshi Kato in the head while he's on the ground, very nearly killing him. He claimed that the heavy brass helmet that he was wearing was the only thing that saved his life. This pretty much sets the grim and gritty tone for the rest of the film. It's a long film and the pacing can be challenging, but my interest and engagement never waned. Kurosawa is a true cinematic master and "The Hidden Fortress" is a superb piece of art and entertainment.