The Hidden Fortress [1958], directed by Akira Kurosawa, is considered to be the primal influence for George Lucas’ Star Wars. The movie is big in every sense of the term, and that probably justifies the five years this movie took to produce. Blazingly fast and full of twists, The Hidden Fortress is a classic action/adventure movie with a very interesting story and some unforgettable characters.
The plot:
The Akizuki Clan has just been destroyed by the Yamana Clan, as a result of which Akizuki territory now belongs to them. Princess Yukihime and General Rokurota Makabe of Akizuki have escaped the clutches of the Yamana Clan and are now hiding in a hidden fortress in the middle of the mountains. They have to smuggle the royal treasure out of this enemy territory and go to Hayakawa, where they can rebuild the Akizuki Clan.
Posing as ordinary people, Rokurota and Princess Yukihime lure two scheming peasants Tahei and Matakishi to help them carry the treasure by promising to split the gold equally when they reach Hayakawa. The movie goes on to show how they all escape enemy territory from right under the enemies’ noses.
The Hidden Fortress contains spectacular performances by all the actors. Toshirô Mifune is at his snarling best as the gruff Rokurota Makabe. He is one actor who doesn’t have to deliver dialogues to display emotion. There are scenes where he gives the peasants one stern look, which makes them shut up immediately and recoil in fright. And before you even know it, the stern face has broken into a very hearty laugh, as he thinks about what the peasants have just said. He is a delight to watch.
Misa Uehara plays the role of the 16 year old Princess Yukihime with conviction. Somewhere during the beginning of the movie, we are told that the Princess was brought up like a son to her father, because of the lack of an heir to the throne. So what we see is a spoilt tomboyish Princess, with a royal arrogance in every mannerism of hers. She pretends to be a mute for most of the movie and therefore does not have many dialogues to utter, but her striking body language accentuates her presence in the frame very prominently.
Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara, who play Tahei and Matakishi, provide the laughs in the movie, and are pretty funny with their expressions and mannerisms. Kurosawa staple Takashi Shimura appears in a one-scene cameo as an ageing general of the Akizuki Clan.
The movie is full of sharp wit and clever escapes. Rokurota’s presence of mind during risky situations often saves them all from death many a times.
The wry humor seen in abundance in this movie is entertaining but also bitter. Whenever Tahei and Matakishi decide to quit this mission, Rokurota makes them stick on till the end, using their selfishness and greed as a stimulus. This, during the movie, evokes laughter, but on hindsight, makes one think about the lengths man will go to, to satisfy his greed.
Akira Kurosawa’s direction is sheer brilliance. He indulges in a lot of fog, something he is very famous for. He also uses his trademark wipe-effect between scenes to good effect. Even though the movie is black and white, the way his camera captures beautiful landscapes and forests is rich, almost making you visualize their color and tone.
Thanks to a well-written screenplay and some slick editing, the movie brims with action and moves at breakneck speed. The movie starts off a little slowly, but this slow beginning is instrumental in giving this movie a well-defined structure.
Many people say that this was the movie that influenced George Lucas’ Star Wars. Well, I don’t know for sure. There was a George Lucas on The Hidden Fortress interview on the DVD, where he said that he decided to give Star Wars a start much akin to the way The Hidden Fortress starts, with the lowest characters of the movie, the two peasants. Star Wars apparently starts off with a proper looking robot and a short, fat, round robot. Don’t ask me the names of these robots… they probably were alphanumeric or something. I don’t know. I don’t exactly like the science fiction genre as such (except Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker book series) and hence gave Star Wars a miss.
On the whole, The Hidden Fortress is a definite must-watch. It is visually powerful and a fast-paced entertainer. Do watch the movie! You’re in for one hell of an adventure!