is a 1958 Japanese ''
jidaigeki
is a genre of film, television, video game, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning " period dramas", they are most often set during the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—'' Portrait o ...
''
adventure film
An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, a ...
directed by
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa displayed a bold, dy ...
. It tells 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 film stars
Toshiro Mifune
was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 150 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration (1948–1965) with Akira Kurosawa in such works as '' Rashomon'', '' Seven Samurai'', '' The Hidden Fortress'', '' Throne of Blood'', a ...
as General Makabe Rokurōta and
Misa Uehara
(birth name Misako Uehara; 26 March 1937 in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan – 2003) appeared in a few Japanese films from the late 1950s, most notably starring as Princess Yuki in Akira Kurosawa's ''The Hidden Fortress
is a 1958 J ...
as Princess Yuki while the role of the peasants, Tahei and Matashichi, are portrayed by
Minoru Chiaki and
Kamatari Fujiwara respectively.
''The Hidden Fortress'' was the fourth highest-grossing film of the year in Japan, and Kurosawa's most successful film up to that point. It was a significant influence on the 1977 American film ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...
''.
Plot
Two bedraggled peasants, Tahei and Matashichi, sell their homes and leave to join the feudal
Yamana clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan which was one of the most powerful of the Muromachi period (1336-1467); at its peak, members of the family held the position of Constable ('' shugo'') over eleven provinces. Originally from Kōzuke Province, and ...
, hoping to make their fortunes as soldiers. Instead, they are mistaken for soldiers of the defeated
Akizuki clan, have their weapons confiscated, and are forced to help dig graves before being sent away without any food. After quarreling and splitting up, the two are both captured again and reunite when they are forced alongside dozens of other prisoners to dig through the ruins of the Akizuki castle for the clan's secret reserve of gold. After a prisoner uprising, Tahei and Matashichi go on the run, steal some rice, and make camp near a river.
While building a fire, they find a piece of gold marked with the crescent of the Akizuki clan. The peasants are then discovered by a mysterious man who takes them to a secret camp in the mountains. Unbeknownst to them, the man is a famous Akizuki general, Makabe Rokurōta. Although Rokurōta initially plans to kill the peasants, he changes his mind when they explain how they intend to escape Yamana territory: They will travel to Yamana itself and then pass into the neighboring state of Hayakawa through a different border. Rokurōta decides, without revealing anything to the peasants, to take Princess Yuki of the Akizuki clan to Hayakawa, whose lord has promised to protect them.
Rokurōta escorts Princess Yuki and what remains of her family's gold (hidden in hollowed-out logs of wood) to Hayakawa, with Matashichi and Tahei traveling with them. To protect Yuki, he has her pretend to be a
deaf-mute
Deaf-mute is a term which was used historically to identify a person who was either deaf and used sign language or both deaf and could not speak. The term continues to be used to refer to deaf people who cannot speak an oral language or have som ...
and has a body double (who is Rokurōta's younger sister) sent to the Yamana to be executed so they will believe that she is dead. During their travels, Tahei and Matashichi get the group into dangerous situations several times due to their cowardice and greed. During a stop for the night at an inn, Yuki forces Rokurōta to buy the freedom of a young prostitute, who decides to follow them.
After losing their horses and obtaining a cart to move the gold, the group is spotted by a Yamana patrol, and Rokurōta is forced to kill them. While pursuing two stragglers, he accidentally rides into a Yamana camp, where the commanding officer, Rokurōta's old rival Hyoe Tadokoro, recognizes him.
Tadokoro states that he is sorry he didn't get to face Rokurōta in battle and challenges him to a lance duel. Rokurōta wins, but spares Tadokoro's life before stealing a horse and riding back to the group. Eventually, they are surrounded and captured by Yamana soldiers and detained at an outpost on the Hayakawa border. In the confusion, Matashichi and Tahei manage to hide. They decide to report Yuki for a reward, but the soldiers laugh at them and they leave with nothing.
Tadokoro comes to identify the prisoners the night before their execution. Tadokoro's face is now disfigured by a large scar and explains it as the result of a beating ordered by the lord of the Yamana clan as punishment for letting Rokurōta escape. Yuki proclaims that she has no fear of death and thanks Rokurōta for letting her see humanity's ugliness and beauty from a new perspective. The next day, as the soldiers start marching the prisoners to be executed, Tadokoro suddenly defects to the Akizuki side and frees Yuki, Rokurōta, and the prostitute before distracting the guards so they can ride off. The group manages to escape along with the horses carrying the gold, which wind up running in a different direction.
Matashichi and Tahei, both hungry and tired, stumble across the lost gold carried by the horses before being arrested by Hayakawa soldiers as thieves. The peasants are brought before a heavily armored samurai, who reveals that he is Rokurōta and the well-dressed noblewoman with him is Yuki. Thanking them for saving the gold (which will be used to restore her clan), the princess rewards Matashichi and Tahei with a single
ryō
The was a gold currency unit in the shakkanhō system in pre- Meiji Japan. It was eventually replaced with a system based on the '' yen''.
Origins
The ''ryō'' was originally a unit of weight from China, the ''tael.'' It came into use in J ...
on the condition that they share it. As the two men walk back to their village, they begin to laugh upon realizing that they have finally made their fortunes.
Cast
*
Toshiro Mifune
was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 150 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration (1948–1965) with Akira Kurosawa in such works as '' Rashomon'', '' Seven Samurai'', '' The Hidden Fortress'', '' Throne of Blood'', a ...
as
*
Minoru Chiaki as Tahei
*
Kamatari Fujiwara as Matashichi
*
Susumu Fujita
Susumu Fujita () (8 January 1912 – 23 March 1991) was a Japanese film and television actor. He played the lead role in Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five dec ...
as
*
Takashi Shimura as General
*
Misa Uehara
(birth name Misako Uehara; 26 March 1937 in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan – 2003) appeared in a few Japanese films from the late 1950s, most notably starring as Princess Yuki in Akira Kurosawa's ''The Hidden Fortress
is a 1958 J ...
as Princess Yuki
*Eiko Miyoshi as Yuki's lady-in-waiting
*Toshiko Higuchi as a prostitute purchased by the group who chooses to accompany them
*
Yū Fujiki
, born , was a Japanese film and television actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1954 to 2005.
Career
Born in Tokyo, Fujiki graduated from Doshisha University and joined the Toho studio in 1954. He began by playing straight male lead ...
as a Yamana soldier
*
Sachio Sakai as a samurai
*
Yoshio Tsuchiya
was a Japanese actor who appeared in such films as Toshio Matsumoto's surreal ''Bara No Soretsu'' (a.k.a. ''Funeral Parade of Roses'') and Akira Kurosawa's ''Seven Samurai'' (as the firebrand farmer Rikichi) and ''Red Beard'', and Kihachi Okamot ...
as a Yamana samurai
*
Kokuten Kōdō as an old villager who tells Matashichi about a reward for Yuki's capture
*
Kōji Mitsui as a Yamana guard overseeing the excavation of Akizuki Castle
Production
This was Kurosawa's first feature filmed in a widescreen format,
Tohoscope, which he continued to use for the next decade. ''The Hidden Fortress'' was originally presented with
Perspecta
Perspecta was a directional motion picture sound system, invented by the laboratories at Fine Sound Inc. in 1954. The company was founded by Mercury Records engineer C. Robert (Bob) Fine, husband of producer Wilma Cozart Fine. As opposed to magnet ...
directional sound, which was re-created for the
Criterion
Criterion, or its plural form criteria, may refer to:
General
* Criterion, Oregon, a historic unincorporated community in the United States
* Criterion Place, a proposed skyscraper in West Yorkshire, England
* Criterion Restaurant, in London, Eng ...
Blu-ray release.
Key parts of the film were shot in
Hōrai Valley in
Hyōgo and on the slopes of Mt. Fuji, where bad weather from the record-breaking
Kanagawa typhoon delayed the production.
Toho
is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the produc ...
's frustration with Kurosawa's slow pace of shooting led to the director forming his own production company the following year, though he continued to distribute through Toho.
Music
The film has musical score by Masaru Sato. The soundtrack album comprises 65 tracks.
Tracks
# Titles
# Fallen Warrior's Death
# Peaceful Mountain Pass Road
# Yamana: Temporary Checkpoint
# War town ~ To the border
# Prisoner's loss of dignity
# Burnt Ruins of Autumn Moon Castle
# Flight
# Money!!!
# Mysterious Mountain Man 1
# Mysterious Mountain Man 2
# Good idea to go cross country
# Shining Extended Staff
# Road to the Hidden Fortress
# Woman on the Summit
# Useless Work
# Spring Woman
# Escaping Woman
# Reward Money
# Rokurota, to the Cave
# Princess Yuki's tears
# Horse and Princess
# Riding in the indicated direction
# Setting off
# Gestured Excuse
# Rokurota's Scouting
# Reliable Ally 1
# Reliable Ally 2
# Over the Black Smoke
# Bolder Trick
# Into the cheap lodgings
# Autumn Moon Woman
# Princess Yuki's Wish
# Adept on Horseback
# Spear March
# Departing Rokurota
# Party's true shape
# Daughter and Rokurota
# Sleeping Princess
# Line of Firefighters
# Surprising Rokurota (unused)
# Introduction to Firefighters
# Firefighters
# Highland Hauting
# Going Downhill
# Coming to the same conclusion
# To Hayawaka Territory
# Matashichi and Peace, In the checkpoint
# Firefighter's Song
# Execution Draws Near
# Treasonous Pardon ~ Pass Crossing
# Two Bad men in prison
# Reunion in a Castle
# Reward
# Ending
# Castle Town (ambient sounds 1)
# Castle Town (ambient sounds 2)
# Child Song
'' Alternative Takes ''
# Titles
# Escaping Woman
# Adept on Horseback
# Departing Rokurota (alt take 1)
# Departing Rokurota (alt take 2)
# To Hayawaka Territory
# Reunion in a Castle
Release
''The Hidden Fortress'' was released theatrically in Japan on December 28, 1958. The film was the highest-grossing film for Toho in 1958, ranking as the fourth highest-grossing film overall in Japan that year. In box-office terms, ''The Hidden Fortress'' was Kurosawa’s most successful film, until the 1961 release of ''
Yojimbo
is a 1961 Japanese samurai film co-written, produced, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The film stars Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yoko Tsukasa, Isuzu Yamada, Daisuke Katō, Takashi Shimura, Kamatari Fujiwara, and Atsushi W ...
''.
The film was released theatrically in the United States by Toho International Col. with English subtitles. It was screened in San Francisco on November 1959 and received a wider release on October 6, 1960 with a 126-minute running time. The film was re-issued in the United States in 1962 with a 90-minute running time. The film was compared unfavorably to ''
Rashomon
is a 1950 Jidaigeki psychological thriller/crime film directed and written by Akira Kurosawa, working in close collaboration with cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Masayuki Mori, and Takashi Shimura as va ...
'' (1950) and ''
Seven Samurai
is a 1954 Japanese epic samurai drama film co-written, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The story takes place in 1586 during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. It follows the story of a village of desperate farmers who hire seven ...
'' (1954), and performed poorly at the U.S. box office.
Critical reception
An article published in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' on January 24, 1962, had the film's review by prominent journalist
Bosley Crowther
Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...
who called ''The Hidden Fortess'' a superficial film. He said
He mentioned that Kurosawa, for all his talent, is as prone to pot boiling as anyone else.
Writing for
The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films." Criterion serves film and media scholars, cine ...
in 1987,
David Ehrenstein called it "one of the greatest action-adventure films ever made" and a "fast-paced, witty and visually stunning"
samurai film. According to Ehrenstein:
The battle on the steps in Chapter 2 (anticipating the climax of '' Ran'') is as visually overwhelming as any of the similar scenes in Griffith's '' Intolerance''. The use of composition in depth in the fortress scene in Chapter 4 is likewise as arresting as the best of Eisenstein or David Lean
Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics '' The Bridge on the Rive ...
. Toshiro Mifune's muscular demonstrations of heroic derring-do in the horse-charge scene (Chapter 11) and the scrupulously choreographed spear duel that follows it (Chapter 12) is in the finest tradition of Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thi ...
. Overall, there’s a sense of sheer "movieness" to ''The Hidden Fortress'' that places it plainly in the ranks of such grand adventure entertainments as '' Gunga Din'', '' The Thief of Baghdad'', and Fritz Lang
Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...
's celebrated diptych
A diptych (; from the Greek δίπτυχον, ''di'' "two" + '' ptychē'' "fold") is any object with two flat plates which form a pair, often attached by hinge. For example, the standard notebook and school exercise book of the ancient world w ...
'' The Tiger of Eschnapur'' and '' The Hindu Tomb''.
David Parkinson of the ''
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' on a review posted on January 1, 2000, gave the film four out of five stars and wrote "Somewhat overshadowed by the likes of Seven Samurai, this is a vigorously placed, meticulously staged adventure. It's not top drawer, but still ranks among the best of Kurosawa's minor masterpieces."
Writing for
The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films." Criterion serves film and media scholars, cine ...
in 2001,
Armond White said "''The Hidden Fortress'' holds a place in cinema history comparable to
John Ford
John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...
's ''
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...
'': It lays out the plot and characters of an on-the-road epic of self-discovery and heroic action. In a now-familiar fashion, Rokurōta and Princess Yuki fight their way to allied territory, accompanied by a scheming, greedy comic duo who get surprised by their own good fortune. Kurosawa always balances valor and greed, seriousness and humor, while depicting the misfortunes of war."
Upon the film's UK re-release in 2002, Jamie Russell, reviewing the film for the
BBC, said it "effortlessly intertwines action, drama, and comedy", calling it "both cracking entertainment and a wonderful piece of cinema."
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw (born 19 June 1962) is a British writer and film critic. He has been chief film critic at ''The Guardian'' since 1999, and is a contributing editor at ''Esquire''.
Early life and education
Bradshaw was educated at Haberdasher ...
of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide ...
'' made a review on February 1, 2002. According to him:
Revered now as an inspiration for George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and '' Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chai ...
, Kurosawa's amiable, forthright epic romance happens on a scorched, rugged landscape which looks quite a lot like an alien planet. At other times, the movie plays like nothing so much as a roistering comedy western. But it has a cleverly contrived relationship between the principals, including a fantastically brash and virile Toshiro Mifune
was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 150 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration (1948–1965) with Akira Kurosawa in such works as '' Rashomon'', '' Seven Samurai'', '' The Hidden Fortress'', '' Throne of Blood'', a ...
. The comedy co-exists with a dark view of life's brevity, and Kurosawa devises exhilarating setpieces and captivating images. Arthouse classics aren't usually as welcoming and entertaining as this.
''
Variety'' called it "a long, interesting, humour-laden picture in medieval Japan". Performances of the lead actors, Kurosawa's direction and Ichio Yamazaki's camerawork were praised.
The film has an aggregate of 98% on
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
based on 49 critic reviews.
Awards
The film won the
Silver Bear for Best Director at the
9th Berlin International Film Festival in 1959.
''
Kinema Junpo
, commonly called , is Japan's oldest film magazine and began publication in July 1919. It was first published three times a month, using the Japanese ''Jun'' (旬) system of dividing months into three parts, but the postwar ''Kinema Junpō'' ...
'' awarded Shinobu Hashimoto the award for Best Screenwriter for his work on the film and for
Tadashi Imai's ''Night Drum'' and
Yoshitaro Nomura's ''Harikomi''.
Legacy
Influence
American director
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and '' Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chai ...
has acknowledged the heavy influence of ''The Hidden Fortress'' on his 1977 film ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...
'',
particularly in the technique of telling the story from the perspective of the film's lowliest characters,
C-3PO and
R2-D2.
Almost all of the major characters from ''Star Wars'' have clear analogues in ''The Hidden Fortress'', including C-3PO and R2-D2 being based on Tahei and Matashichi,
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi () is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the Star Wars original trilogy, original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinn ...
on Rokurota Makabe,
Princess Leia on Princess Yuki, and
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the Star Wars original trilogy, original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the ...
on Hyoe Tadokoro; the only notable major characters who were not drawn from Kurosawa's film are
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in ''Star Wars'' (1977), and he returned in ''The ...
and
Han Solo, whose character arcs were inspired by academic writer
Joseph Campbell's book
The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and
Chewbacca, who was based on Lucas's own
Alaskan Malamute
The Alaskan Malamute () is a large breed of dog that was originally bred for its strength and endurance to haul heavy freight as a sled dog and hound. It is similar to other arctic breeds such as the husky, the spitz, the Greenland Dog, ...
dog, Indiana. Lucas's original plot outline for ''Star Wars'' bore an even greater resemblance to the plot of ''The Hidden Fortress'' (and notably lacked any characters resembling Luke or Han); this draft would subsequently be reused as the basis for ''
The Phantom Menace
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...
''. The movie is referenced in ''
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga'', where during a cutscene for the first level of ''
Return of the Jedi
''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas from a story by Lucas, who w ...
'', there is a flag written in Aurebesh, which translates to "Hidden Fortress".
A number of plot elements from ''The Hidden Fortress'' are used in the 2006 video game ''
Final Fantasy XII
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix. The twelfth main installment of the ''Final Fantasy'' series, it was first released for the PlayStation 2 in 2006. It introduced several innovations to the series: an open w ...
''.
Remake
A loose remake entitled ''Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess'' was directed by
Shinji Higuchi and released on May 10, 2008.
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
*
*
The Hidden Fortress' at the
Japanese Movie Database
The , more commonly known as simply JMDb, is an online database of information about Japanese movies, actors, and production crew personnel. It is similar to the Internet Movie Database but lists only those films initially released in Japan. Y ...
''The Hidden Fortress: Three Good Men and a Princess''an essay by Catherine Russell at the
Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home video, home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films." Criterion serves film and media scho ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hidden Fortress, The
1958 films
1958 adventure films
Japanese adventure films
1950s Japanese-language films
Japanese black-and-white films
Jidaigeki films
Samurai films
Toho films
Films directed by Akira Kurosawa
Films produced by Sanezumi Fujimoto
Films with screenplays by Shinobu Hashimoto
Films with screenplays by Akira Kurosawa
Films with screenplays by Hideo Oguni
Films with screenplays by Ryuzo Kikushima
Films scored by Masaru Sato
Films about princesses
1950s Japanese films