Reel Speak’s Retro Reviews will randomly review a classic film from the TCM library every week, with the intention of introducing some overlooked and perhaps forgotten screen gems from the past to those of us who may be unfamiliar or unawares of their existence.
It is no secret that STAR WARS creator George Lucas found influence and inspiration from several places when he first started writing his generation-spanning galactic saga; including TV serials, the writings of Joseph Campbell, and the films of famed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. One such film in particular was Kurosawa’s 1958 adventure, THE HIDDEN FORTRESS.
In feudal Japan, two peasants; Tahei (Minoru Chiaki), and Matashichi (Kamatari Fujiwara), escape captivity and encounter the mysterious Makabe (Toshiro Mifune), who was once a general of a defeated clan, and assist him in protecting the hunted princess Yuki (Misa Uehara).
After spending most of the decade directing films that dabbled with the Samurai, nuclear terror, and Shakespeare…Akira Kurosawa’s THE HIDDEN FORTRESS leans towards a simpler, straight-up adventure film; complete with duels, castles, hunts for gold, and plenty of deception. The plot mainly deals with the two peasants unaware of the identity of their leader and the princess, whose price on her head could bring the peasants the gold they are seeking.
While the plot is somewhat simple on paper, Kurosawa makes for a deeper film by letting the situations and scenes draw out character moments. The former general in exile has his character revealed more and more with each conflict, and even the princess has her own arc; learning and appreciating those that serve her.
This was the first film that Kurosawa shot in the widescreen format, and he makes excellent use of the larger canvas. Battle scenes are wonderfully staged, and even the intimate moments capture every emotional tick. The cast helps to drive the story, even though the two bumbling peasants can get annoying from time to time.
George Lucas would draw a lot from THE HIDDEN FORTRESS when he wrote STAR WARS (1977), and THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999), which is just fine because the film’s clear-cut presentations of the good-guys and bad-guys took inspiration from the Old West flicks that were popular at the time. This is a film that is not only ground-zero for that far away galaxy, but a neat little package of cinematic adventure.
BOTTOM LINE: See it
Reel Facts: THE HIDDEN FORTRESS would win the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 9th Berlin International Film Festival in 1959. Actor Toshiro Mifune would appear in 16 films of Kurosawa’s, including RASHOMON (1950), and SEVEN SAMURAI (1954). He passed away in 1997 at the age of 77.
No comments:
Post a Comment
A few rules:
1. Personal attacks not tolerated.
2. Haters welcome, if you can justify it.
3. Swearing is goddamn OK.