Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Toshirô Mifune | ... | General Rokurota Makabe | |
Minoru Chiaki | ... | Tahei | |
Kamatari Fujiwara | ... | Matashichi | |
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Susumu Fujita | ... | General Hyoe Tadokoro |
Takashi Shimura | ... | The Old General, Izumi Nagakura | |
Misa Uehara | ... | Princess Yuki | |
Eiko Miyoshi | ... | Old Lady-in-Waiting | |
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Toshiko Higuchi | ... | Farmer's Daughter bought from slave trader |
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Yû Fujiki | ... | Barrier guard |
Yoshio Tsuchiya | ... | Samurai on horse | |
Kokuten Kôdô | ... | Old man in front of sign | |
Takeshi Katô | ... | Fleeing, bloody samurai | |
Kôji Mitsui | ... | Guard | |
Toranosuke Ogawa | ... | Magistrate of the bridge barrier | |
Kichijirô Ueda | ... | Slave Trader |
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. 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. 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. 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. Along the way, the General's prowess is put to the test as he must guide the 4, and later 5 with the inclusion of a freed slave, through close encounters with the pursuing enemy, and out of difficult situations the bumbling peasants manage to get them into. Written by Jeff Napierala
Those who think that Kurosawa could only direct dramatic films need to see The Hidden Fortress. It is an exiting, funny, and extremely entertaining adventure film. George Lucas cites The Hidden Fortress as the prime inspiration for the Star Wars films.
Two cowardly soldiers Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matashichi (Kamatari Fujiwara) flee from a battle. The two then set up camp for the night, but soon they discover a bar of gold next to their camp. The two begin fighting over it, but before they can decide who gets it, a mysterious man called Rokurota (Toshiro Mifune) appears. He asks the two to help him transport a wagon full of gold and the Lady Yukihime (Misa Uehara) across enemy lines so that they can establish their kingdom again.
This film is a blast and is filled with plenty of action and humor. A departure from Kurosawa's usual dramatic films, but excellent cinema nonetheless.