by Jack Nilan            EMail : jacknilan@yahoo.com


The Hidden Fortress (1958)


Director: Akira Kurosawa

Jack   A

IMDB    8.1



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   Another Akira Kurosawa samurai movie starring the great Toshiro Mifune.

   The droids R2D2 and C3PO from Star Wars fame, are based on the comic characters of Tahei and Matakishi from this film. The movie contains as much comedy, as it does action as General Rokurota Makabe (Mifune) tries to escort Princess Yuki, with the help of his greedy bumbling hirelings.

   Tahei and Matakishi have opinions on lots of things and we hear many of them during the first half of the film. During the second half, there is more action as Makabe dominates the screen and the group tries to escapes against great odd to freedom.

   I usually like my samurai movies played straight, with little or no comedy added in, but everthing just seems to work in this wonderful movie.