The Hidden Fortress

Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara, Susumu Fujita, Misa Uehara
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Action, Adventure
1958

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A warrior (Toshiro Mifune) tries to get a princess and their fortune past an army hunting them and into the safety of their homeland.

Review:

Tim: Although this film has star Toshiro Mifune and director Akira Kurosawa, it is not nearly as good as the masterpiece Seven Samurai. While this cannot compare to the previous film, the movie is still quite good. Here is a director that knows how to direct a movie, and an actor who knows how to work successfully in that system.

Samurai films are not a huge genre of films, and this is one of the cornerstones of the genre. This is not the best samurai film, but it is still a solid entry. It has many of the same elements as better films, so there are at least quite a few positives. It is also important to note that this film was largely inspirational for George Lucas' Star Wars trilogy. That adds an additional layer of importance to it.

While the film is good, there are some flaws. While everyone tries to get the treasure, the two bumbling peasants, whom do play an important role, tend to get annoying. This is not a good feature to have in a movie that asks you to stay engaged for nearly two and a half hours. This is occasionally a very difficult task, mostly because the characters, the peasant, and even the princess, tend to get on our nerves. To be fair their quirkiness does add an interesting element, it's just that it occasionally crosses the line.

The Hidden Fortress comes from revolutionary director Kurosawa, and stars his often used leading man Mifune. It is largely responsible for the Star Wars trilogy, and if these are not enough reasons to require a viewing, then you have to seriously reevaluate your priorities.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Seven Samurai