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Summary: 'HIDDEN' Treasure
Review: I'd heard about THE HIDDEN FORTRESS as a young man whenever the roots of STAR WARS were discussed. FORTRESS is always mentioned as the film that influenced George Lucas the most in crafting his STAR WARS films. It wasn't until last year that I actually decided to rent it and see what it and its director Akira Kurosawa were all about. THE HIDDEN FORTRESS was my first introduction to the incredible direction of Akira Kurosawa. I've gone on to watch several of his other films and am now a huge fan. I also discovered that quite a few Hollywood movies have their roots in Kurosawa films. Interestingly enough, an interview with George Lucas has been included on the disk as a bonus, which completes the HIDDEN FORTRESS/STAR WARS connection.FORTRESS is a fast-moving film. It's story is reminiscent of the serials of the 1930's (including "wipes" to transition from scene to scene -- again, another technique that Lucas borrowed for STAR WARS). Our heroes leap out of frying pan into fire on several occasions. The Japanese style of acting (at least in 1958 when this film was made) is very stylized and little over the top or "stagey". However, the stylized performances only add to the wonderful, other-worldly atmosphere of HIDDEN FORTRESS. That's one thing that I enjoyed about this Kurosawa film: it definitely takes the viewer to a world he has not seen before ... a weird, ancient and savage old-Japan. Those are my thoughts on this film. This was the first Kurosawa I ever saw and I was very impressed. Immediately I rented YOJIMBO and HIGH AND LOW and SEVEN SAMURAI and went on to be a fan.
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Summary: LUCAS DOWNPLAYS HIDDEN FORTRESS
Review: First, I had always wanted to see this film on DVD. And I think why I am giving a lot less credit to Lucas, is the part of the interview where he said Hidden Fortress is not one of his top favorites. C'MON! I understand that Star Wars is an unparallel film for it's time and beyond, but between Seven Samurai and Hidden Fortress, at least one quarter of his trilogy scripts was developed by Kurosawa. Main similarities are the two peasants (c3po - r2d2), a princess (Leia), a samurai general who gets no respect from the princess until he had proved himself (Han), the samurai's best friend (Lando)...How does Lucas sleep at night knowing this film is his masterpiece? He should have called the Jawas - Sawas, right? This only leads me to believe somewhere out there is another director's piece of work he'll say is not his favorite, but helped him write one half of American Graffiti or Raiders. It's not like Lucas denied Kurosawa as being an influence; However, there is a fine line regarding influence and originality. To me, he moght have crossed it.
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Summary: Hidden Gem
Review: I enjoyed this movie immensely...simply because I judged it on its own merit. While its an adventure with a bit of action and drama it is mostly comedy Kurosawa style. Its in a different category and can't be compared to Ran or Rashomon. Those were social commentaries and powerful in their own ways. However this was pure fun and adventure even though Kurosawa sneaked in a little lesson or two in it. I particularly enjoyed the song and dance routine around the the fire Once you get into the story you'll laugh so much that you won't realize its in black & white. As usual Toshiro Mifune delivered.
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Summary: Tremendous Movie Experience
Review: Kurosawa made a great film here, one of his best. Like "Seven Samauri", this is an epic adventure, with spectacular black-and-white photography, that throws everything but the kitchen sink in. This one's tighter and better edited than "Seven Samauri" though - it doesn't drag, and keeps the viewer tightly engaged throughout its length (139 minutes). If you like movies, you'll like this. The film is often mentioned as a primary influence on "Star Wars". Well, it is. George Lucas as much as admits this in the short interview present on the DVD. "Star Wars" fans probably become angry at film snobs pointing out the debt that film owes to this one, and at claims that this is the better movie. Well, they're both great, fun movies. And this one is undoubtably an influence on the other one. The print on this DVD is excellent. The film looks crisp and glorious (black-and-white) with a minimum of picture debris.
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Summary: And this floating world is a dream.
Review: Recognized as one of the finest filmakers of all time, Akira Kurosawa's influence runs deep: Martin Scorsese, John Milius, and Francis Ford Coppola (as well as many others) all claim inspiration from the man. Kurosawa himself was influenced by John Ford, as his films were a hybrid of Western plot structure and Japanese values. Weighing in at just over 2 1/4 hours, the film has a great pace. Indeed, it is primarily an adventure film, and it is full of sword fights and epic battles, as well as plenty of humor; it is also probably the most easily understood by a typical Western viewer. Unfortunatley, too much as been made of the influence this film had on "Star Wars." The "similarities" are frail. The Hidden Fortress is a work of art. Star Wars is a comic book version of history and mythology. The DVD is what one would expect from Criterion: an incredibly beautiful picture. There are a few scenes that are a bit grainy or otherwise show their age, but these are few and the problems are minor. The audio is of course presented in the original Japanese -- no blasphemous English dubs to be found here.
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Summary: The Movie George Lucas Based Star Wars On...
Review: ...although you can hardly see the influence. There exists 2 comical farmers thrown into adventures against their will, or two great swordsmen who duel in a show of skill and honor. There is a chase through a gigantic fortress (basically an entire country!) in disguise to rescue a princess. Amazingly enough, Akira Kurosawa created the plot for Hidden Fortress by simply asking his crew to create some interesting characters, then come up with strange adventures for them to go through. The result is a masterpiece. Kurosawa draws more humanity from simply 5 minute stories than most 90 minute movies! Plenty of action, great dialog, and amazing acting all make for one of my favorite movies. Time to buy another copy, because I've worn out my first!
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Summary: A change of pace from Kurosawa
Review: A number of people, when they discuss this Kurosawa film along with The Seven Samurai and his other films, treat it like a bastard at a family reunion. Apparently, they were expecting a "HIGH DRAMA" or "BADASS" movie. If they were, then they deserve to be disappointed. The Hidden Fortress is NOT an epic that gives great insight into the code of the samurai or other such nonsense. It's a fun romp through the misadventures of several bungling "heroes": Two greedy, cowardly peasants, a knight very similar to the young Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a bitchy, aloof Princess Yuki of Akizuki (a name that sounds like something from Dr. Seuss). They are trying to smuggle the Akizuki treasury (gold bars hidden in firewood) and the princess to safety. But greed, lust and stupidity keep getting in the way. This movie is more of an old-style caper film than a samurai epic. The dumb, double-dealing characters are more from The Lavender Hill Mob than MacBeth. What makes the characters more interesting is that the two peasants don't hold a monopoly on greed and harebrained "cunning plans" that would make Baldric from The Black Adder proud, and the knight and the princess don't hold all the courage and nobility cards, either. In fact, the two peasants come up with a plan that literally saves their necks. The way the film is told from the point of view of the two lowliest characters was quite novel and an obvious influence on George Lucas when he made the first Star Wars. The Hidden Fortress is a great movie in its own right, though. One shot in particular will stick in your mind. At the beginning you see a wounded samurai on foot getting cut down by horsemen. It is stark, shocking and weirdly beautiful. To people with open minds without preconceived notions of what should and should not be in a Kurosawa film, The Hidden Fortress is a great movie.
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Summary: A great start to enjoy Japanese cinema
Review: Kurasawa's "Hidden Fortress" is often hailed as "the inspiration for 'Star Wars.'" While perhaps that's a little overstated, Kurasawa definitely had a lot of influence on Lucas's filmmaking. The film is about a general who must escort a princess to safety after her country has been invaded by the enemy. While the story doesn't parallel the princess plot of Star Wars, its biggest influence, however, is in how it is told - in the point of view of two bumbling peasants. These guys are at the bottom of the status scale and they continue to bicker with each other throughout the film, reminding me of two droids I know so well. My only gripe with the disc is the rather stilted literal English translation in the subtitles. Imagining Toshiro Mifune saying "Get out of here!" like Elaine Benes is quite jarring. Kurasawa's film makes up for it, though, and if you haven't seen a Kurasawa film, this would be a great place to start
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Summary: from a common perspective...
Review: Ok, so countless reviewers here love it, critics have praised it, and fans have enjoyed it. Still haven't seen it? Perhaps a layman's review will change your mind. The first time I saw this I enjoyed it somewhat but didn't fully appreciate it until later viewings. The film started rather slow for me, to the point where i was close to giving up on it. But right about the time we meet up with the spunky and beautiful princess(who has an unfortunate habit of innocently bending over) and on to the start of their actual adventure away from the fortress, I was thoroughly captivated and actually cared for and about these characters(even the two greedy/wimpy ex-soldiers/farmers). It was fun seeing them get into certain predicaments and wondering how they were going to get out of them(very clever and lucky how they got out of certain situations). If you're looking for lots of samurai action you won't find it here, so i'll lower that expectation right now. But if you want to root for a group of characters on their perilous yet fun adventure, it will be easy cause this film succeeds in delivering both. It helps if you like these types of films but in no way is it a requirement to enjoy The Hidden Fortress. Some standout aspects:
* some very memorable scenes like the massive prisoner escape scene, the scene where Mifune inadvertently rides into the enemy camp, and the scene where a peasant girl is protecting the princess by holding a big rock for the longest time.
* great performances, especially by Mifune as the unflappable general
* a sense of "how the heck are they gonna get out of that" is present throughout the film that keeps you interested. Plus, some fine writing, cinematography, and humor to keep everything moving along. I highly suggest you see this film but I hope a better dvd version comes along. This film deserves a special edition with all the extras. Overall, highly recommended.
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Summary: I can not get enough!
Review: I am incredibly impressed by the story and the characters. The duel scene blew me away. I was bored one night and decided to go see a movie. The only thing that even remotely interested me was 'The Last Samurai.' Although I walked out of the theatre feeling slightly disappointed, that a movie with such potential would have to be ruined by typical hollywoodism, and the poor choice of casting Tom Cruise, it left me with a curiousity about other Samurai themed movies. This is how I stumbled across Kurosawa. Although lacking the blood, and special effects of newer releases, it lacks absolutely none of the intensity. In fact, I was on the edge of my seat during 'the duel.' This movie is a lesson perhaps, in how acting is taking a second to special effects lately, and how the opposite should be the case.
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