Akira kurosawas classic film, a blend of fairy tale and action, was a major. The hidden fortress is a 1958 jidaigeki adventure film directed by akira kurosawa. Watch the hidden fortress trailers and video, including teasers, extended looks, exclusive clips, footage, sneak peeks, interviews, and more on moviefone. The directors movies were influenced by early entries in the genre, then, in turn, became a blueprint for 60s and 70s editions.
Star wars and the hidden fortress comparison science. The film was released theatrically in the united states by toho international col. The movie that confirmed kurosawas greatest strength, his innovative handling of genre. The hidden fortress 1958 and red beard 1965 ferdy on films. John ford was the cinematic poet of manifest destiny. The hidden fortress is like watching a feudal society evolve into a capitalist society in a little over 2 hours, at 24 frames per second. Released january 23rd, 1962, the hidden fortress stars toshiro mifune, misa uehara, minoru chiaki, kamatari fujiwara the movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 19 min, and received a score of out of. In boxoffice terms, the hidden fortress was kurosawas most successful film, until the 1961 release of yojimbo. His films, even entertainments like the hidden fortress, are so sensually alive, so hard, so unpretty but beautiful, that you practically smell the blossoms, the rancid flesh, the fresh blood, the horse dung. Kakushi toride no san akunin approximately three bad men of the hidden fortress was akira kurosawas first widescreen film.
Some twenty years on, the film s influence would have even greater impact on world box offices, when george lucas borrowed its plot for the first of his star wars series. It was kurosawas first film shot in the widescreen process of tohoscope, and he exploited this to the full in the film s rich variety of landscape. Home videos pics blog contact hidden fortress films. A grandscale adventure as only akira kurosawa could make one, the hidden fortress stars the inimitable toshiro mifune as a general charged with guarding his clans princess as they cross hostile territory, accompanied by a pair of bumbling peasants. Oct 07, 2014 the hidden fortress trailer 1958 director. A major influence on star wars, the hidden fortress is kurosawas most fun film. A story of rival clans, hidden gold, and a princess in distress, the hidden fortress is a thrilling blend of fairy tale and samurai action. Toshiru mifune is at his usual incredibly entertaining and masterful level of acting. Falling between the dark and brooding tragedy of throne of blood and kurosawas continuing infatuation with the samurai film in yojimbo and sanjuro, the hidden fortress effortlessly. While hidden fortress doesnt represent his best, most influential or most important work.
After the international success of rashomon 1952 and seven samurai 1955, kurosawa abandoned his early interest in gendaimono modernset pictures and. Toshiro mifune in a wonderful duel in akira kurosawas epic movie. Visually stunning with a slight comedic edge, the hidden fortress is a fun adventure film told through the pov of a pair of peasants who just so happen to get caught up in the whole story whilst in search for gold and riches. In short, the hidden fortress is a fun adventure on its own merits, but its ideas are timeless archetypes for future film plotlines. The rousing opening theme from kurosawa akiras the hidden fortress. The part that was the most interesting in hidden fortress was that it was told from the point of view of the farmers, and not from the point of view of the princess. The hidden fortress was released theatrically in japan on december 28, 1958. This riproaring ride is among the directors most beloved films, and was a primary influence on george lucass star wars.
So its not at the top of my list but i was impressed and i liked it. This riproaring ride is among the directors most beloved films and was a primary influence on george lucass star wars. May 21, 2001 best known as the major influence on george lucas star wars, akira kurosawas 1958 the hidden fortress deserves recognition as a definitive cultural expression of japans master filmmaker. The four of them have to make their way through dangerous enemy territory, with tensions. Dec 08, 2015 the hidden fortress is a good film, but it has never been one of my favourites from amongst kurosawas work. The hidden fortress 1958 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The hidden fortress 1958, directed by akira kurosawa film. The comical interplay between tahei and mataschici reminded me a lot of r2d2 and c3po. The hidden fortress 1962 japanese peasants matashichi kamatari fujiwara and tahei minoru chiaki try and fail to make a profit from a tribal war.
The hidden fortress became kurosawas biggest box office hit to date and won several awards, including the golden bear at the1959 berlin film festival. Released january 23rd, 1962, the hidden fortress stars toshiro mifune, misa uehara, minoru chiaki, kamatari fujiwara the movie has a runtime of about 2. Lured by gold, two greedy peasants escort a man and woman across enemy lines. The hidden fortress 1962 stream and watch online moviefone. They find a man and woman whom they believe are simple tribe members hiding in a fortress. Lured by the promise of gold, two peasants accompany a haughty girl and a gruff warrior through enemy territory not knowing that the girl is in fact the princess yuki accompanied by her general rokurota. The hidden fortress 1962 trailers and clips japanese peasants matashichi kamatari fujiwara and tahei minoru chiaki try and fail to make a profit from a tribal war.
Theres always a slight aesthetic shock in watching a kurosawa film. Lighter in tone than his other samurai adventures, but no less rewarding, this is the film george lucas based star wars. Lyrics the life of a man burn it with the fire the life of an insect throw it into the fire. To classify the hidden fortress as simply an escapist compromise would be to ignore both its technical innovations and storytelling prowess so carefully coordinated are kurosawas compositions that the film can feel at once claustrophobic and expansive. With toshiro mifune, misa uehara, minoru chiaki, kamatari fujiwara.
His later years were spent in nearblindness, and yet he continued to work, sketching scenes with the paper only inches from his eyes, and his final film was made only five years ago. The hidden fortress the current the criterion collection. Kurosawas direction is entertaining with farcical bits splitting up the epic adventure with some silly comedy. In particular, the opening of a new hope is influenced by the opening of the hidden fortress. Rent the hidden fortress 1958 on dvd and bluray dvd. He borrows a lot of visual techniques from kurosawa, here is a good video showing some of the more obvious ones.
When star wars fans start researching the movies origins, one of the first things they discover is that george lucas was heavily influenced by akira kurosawas 1958 adventure the hidden fortress, which involves a princess whose kingdom has been destroyed, a dashing rogue whos trying to protect her, and two bumbling idiotsone tall, one short. According to donald richies the films of akira kurosawa, the hidden fortress was released in japan december 28, 1958, as kakushi toride no sanakunin, which translates as three bad men in a hidden fortress. The film is a jidai geki with an interesting twist. The film starred actors known for often working in kurosawa films. Akira kurosawa focused on individual, ethical dilemmas. Apr 01, 2006 the hidden fortress, a comedyaction epic made as a favor to toho studios for taking so many risks for him, is in some ways the ultimate kurosawa film if you think of him as a director of hugely entertaining samurai epics. The hidden fortress gets a new 2k digital restoration with this release, and the results are pretty impressive. The hidden fortress 1962 trailers and clips moviefone. The hidden fortress was the first movie kurosawa shot in anamorphic widescreen one tends to think of seven samurai, made four years earlier, as an epic canvas, but its actually as squarish as citizen kane, and criterions new bluray upgrade does more justice to his dynamic compositions. The hidden fortress kakushitoride no sanakunin critics consensus a feudal adventure told from an eccentric perspective, the hidden fortress is among akira kurosawas most purely enjoyable epics. However, they do not realize that their companions are actually a princess and her general. Lighter in tone than his other samurai adventures, but no less rewarding, this is the film.
Of the postwar giants who redefined the art of the cinema, what other director, save perhaps swedens ingmar. A grandscale adventure as only akira kurosawa could make one, the hidden fortress stars the inimitable toshiro mifune as a general charged with guarding his defeated clans princess a fierce misa uehara as the two smuggle royal treasure across hostile territory. A grandscale adventure as only the great akira kurosawa could make one, the hidden fortress stars the inimitable toshiro mifune as a brave general charged with guarding his defeated clans princess a fierce misa uehara as the two smuggle royal treasure across hostile territory in wartorn feudal japan. In the sixteenth century, in japan, tahei minoru chiaki and matakishi kamatari fujiwara, two rascals and greedy peasants, are trying to return to the city of akizuki through hayakawa, after an unsuccessful attempt of making money with the war between the clans of yamana and akizuki. I think youve done a good job of highlighting the star wars influence from this film. The comedy coexists with a dark view of lifes brevity, and kurosawa devises exhilarating setpieces and captivating images. The movie that confirmed kurosawas greatest strength, his innovative handling of. The hidden fortress wikipedia the hidden fortress 1958 the criterion collection star wars hidden for. Akira kurosawa, one of the greatest of all film directors, died sunday in tokyo.
The hidden fortress 1958 directed by akira kurosawa. Japanese peasants matashichi and tahei try and fail to make a profit from a tribal war. The hidden fortress is the film directed by kurosawa with the lightest and funniest, most profound and poetic tone. Filled with beautiful cinematography, generous amounts of comedy and some of the. The film was the highestgrossing film for toho in 1958, ranking as the fourth overall highestgrossing films in japan that year. Mar 18, 2011 the rousing opening theme from kurosawa akiras the hidden fortress. Best known as the major influence on george lucas star wars, akira kurosawas 1958 the hidden fortress deserves recognition as a definitive cultural expression of japans master filmmaker. An enchanting song from akira kurosawas the hidden fortress, performed by princess yuki misa uehara.
Lured by the promise of gold, two peasants accompany a haughty girl and a gruff warrior through enemy. I much prefer his films like rashomon, stray dog and the quiet duel. Movie, the hidden fortress movie,the hidden fortress trailer,the hidden fortress 1958, akira kurosawa,toshiro mifune, takashi shimura, kamatari fujiwara, minoru chiaki, susumu fujita, misa uehara. Filled with beautiful cinematography, generous amounts of comedy and some of the finest action sequences. As the liner notes in the insert booklet indicate, this scan was taken from the 35mm master positive, as the original negative for the movie no longer exists. The hidden fortress by akira kurosawa film quarterly. It was kurosawas first film shot in the widescreen process of tohoscope, and he exploited this to the full in the film s rich variety of landscape locations, including the slopes of mount fuji. In hidden fortress, however, the bumbling peasants do more than simply frame the story they serve as literal archetypes of foolish greed, while mifunes general rokurota is a contrasting paragon of loyalty and stalwart bravery. Akira kurosawa redefined the action film with his samurai epics set in. Peasants tahei minoru chiaki and matakishi kamatari fujiwara, displeased to find that makabe toshiro mifune is still on their trail, find out he also knows about the gold, in akira kurosawas throne of blood, 1958 view the tcmdb entry for the hidden fortress 1959. This is the movie that inspired george lucass script for the 1977 classic star wars. Modern audiences may never have enjoyed this film more that with this edition. The hidden fortress kakushitoride no sanakunin 1958. In the end, nobility wins out, and the fools are left to their own quibbling devices once again.
The hidden fortress 1962 cast and crew japanese peasants matashichi kamatari fujiwara and tahei minoru chiaki try and fail to make a profit from a tribal war. Although there is a lot of comedy, mostly provided by the peasants, the hidden fortress still has all the power and uniqueness that all genres of movies. Toshiro mifune, takashi shimura, kamatari fujiwara, minoru chiaki, susumu fujita, misa uehara official content from media home. It treats playfully themes that kurosawa could turn into the grimmest of anatomizations of human nature. It narrates the story of two peasants who agree to escort a man and a woman across enemy lines in return for gold without knowing that he is a general and the woman is a princess.
The hidden fortress 1958, directed by akira kurosawa. This 2014 restoration of the kurosawa masterpiece the hidden fortress is magnificent. The hidden fortress 1958 and red beard 1965 ferdy on. This film is best known in the west for the idea of focusing on the peasants at first. Jun 12, 2014 this is the movie that inspired george lucass script for the 1977 classic star wars. Nov 16, 2011 an enchanting song from akira kurosawas the hidden fortress, performed by princess yuki misa uehara. Although the peasants dont know that rokurota is a general and yuki is a princess, the peasants agree to accompany. After the international success of rashomon 1952 and seven samurai 1955, kurosawa abandoned his early interest in gendaimono modernset pictures and concentrated on jidaigeki. Two greedy, dim peasants making their way home at the end of a war are joined by two mysterious travellers, who turn out to be a princess and a general from the losing side. Accompanying them are a pair of bumbling, conniving peasants who may or may not be their friends. Toshiro mifune, minoru chiaki, kamatari fujiwara, susumu fujita. Some will be classic films, others obscure and occasionally fun bad b movies.
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