The Hidden Fortress

This was a different Akira Kurosawa film to my eyes.   Almost a popcorn flick.  Certainly different than RASHOMON or IKIRU.   Quite unexpected.  Maybe it shouldn't have been, as I'd long heard that George Lucas was inspired by some of it for STAR WARS.  1958's THE HIDDEN FORTRESS was never at the top of my Kurosawa queue, but when I saw the DVD (The Criterion edition, no less) for $1 at my local library, I felt I had scored.  Of course, I immediately checked the disc for scratches, as many loaners there tend to be unplayable.  I'm happy to report that my screening went without incident.

This is a well paced adventure film, maybe slightly too long, but the existentialism seen in the master director's other films is certainly in evidence here.  There's a song with philosophical lyrics repeated a few times; once even sung by the heroine!  The screenplay's main theme is greed, with nice doses of heroism and loyalty supplanting what is essentially a "road" movie.

THE HIDDEN FORTRESS is often seen through the eyes of two bumbling peasants named Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matashichi (Kamatari Fujiwara) who may have been willing noble warriors at one point but are now driven by their covetousness for gold, that which belonged to Princess Yki Akizuki (Misa Uehara).  After the humiliation of capture and imprisonment by the rival Yamana clan, they escape and find a mysterious fortress where an imposing figure seems to want to dispatch them.  He is General Makabe Rokurota of the Akizukis (Toshiro Mifune), but he keeps this identity from the clumsy duo, especially when he learns of their ingenious plan to get to safety by actually traveling through enemy territory and reaching their destination through a less treacherous border.  The pilgrimage begins.

There is that bevy of family gold, hidden in wooden sticks.  Tahei and Matashichi (often compared to C-3PO and R2-D2, at least in terms of their bickering) can't help themselves and make a few efforts to run off with it.  But their avarice always thwarts their schemes. Will they prove themselves capable of valor by film's end?

The movie is stunning to look at in expansive Tohoscope.  Many shots are reminiscent of American Westerns, surely because Kurosawa was a fan of John Ford and others.  The choreography of a fire dance and lengthy spear duel are very impressive. The backdrop of war unavoidably infects the story of our main characters, and may well drive their motivations and behavior.

The balance of drama, action, and generous amount of humor announced a new sort of Kurosawa picture, one that proved popular with audiences.  There are several moments of introspection and possibly theological considerations, given your proclivities.