The Hidden Fortress (1958)

Lured by gold, two greedy peasants escort a man and woman across enemy lines. However, they do not realize that their companions are actually a princess and her general.

Director:

Akira Kurosawa

Writers:

Ryûzô Kikushima, Hideo Oguni

Stars:

Toshirô Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki

4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Toshirô Mifune	...	General Rokurota Makabe
Minoru Chiaki	...	Tahei
Kamatari Fujiwara	...	Matashichi
Susumu Fujita	...	General Hyoe Tadokoro
Takashi Shimura	...	The Old General, Izumi Nagakura
Misa Uehara	...	Princess Yuki
Eiko Miyoshi	...	Old Lady-in-Waiting
Toshiko Higuchi	...	Farmer's Daughter bought from slave trader
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

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

pretending to be mute | escape | rain | horse | river | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

6 October 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hidden Fortress

Filming Locations:

Harima, Hyogo, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

139 min 114 min (1959) 110 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Perspecta Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A bit distraught from the lack of success of his last two films which he deemed heavy and tragic, Akira Kurosawa took a new tone with this movie, stating, "I want to make a 100% entertainment film, full of thrills and fun".

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Goofs

During the opening scene, A soldier is being chased then killed by opposing soldiers on horseback. Ah he lays on the ground mortally wounded , and paralyzed in shock and pain, The soldiers on horseback spin and return back. As the first horse passes close by the soldier (for framing effect no doubt) you can see the rider attempting to rein back and to the right to slow the horse to avoid and barely misses the soldier on the ground. The following horse is not as restrained and kicks the soldier in the left ear area with his rear left leg. The soldier on the ground visibly reacts to getting kicked by reaching for his head for a split second before remaining in character for the rest of the shot.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Tahei: Get away from me! You stink of dead bodies!
Matakishi: Give it up. We both stink of dead bodies. And it's all your fault!

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Connections

Referenced in Heroes: Chapter Ten 'Six Months Ago' (2006)

User Reviews

A different kind of Kurosawa film

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.