Other Titles • The Hidden Fortress (1960) • Kakushi toride no san akunin • The Three Villains of the Hidden Fortress (1958) • Three Bad Men in a Hidden Fortress (1958) • Three Rascals in the Hidden Fortress (1958) • Die Verborgene Festung (1959) • La Fortezza nascosta (1958)
Synopses for The Hidden Fortress (1958)
1.
In one of the many classic collaborations between director Akira Kurosawa and his leading man Toshirô Mifune, this 1958 film tells the story of a warrior and a princess trying against all odds to return to their homeland with their fortune. Along the way, they are simultaneously assisted and thwarted by two itinerant and not too bright farmers with their own designs on the treasure, giving the story a subtle comic bent. The Hidden Fortress combines an epic tale of struggle and honor with modern comic sensibilities, creating a masterful addition to world cinema. --Robert Lane
2.
During a civil war in 16th-century feudal Japan, two cowardly farmers (Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara) stumble upon Makabe (Toshirô Mifune), a fierce army general. Escaping from hostile territory, General Makabe embarks on a mission to rescue both Yukihime (Misa Uehara), the willfull princess of his ruling house, and the royal fortune. In the selfish hopes of finding the gold, the two misfits accompany the hardened soldier through dangerous mountain passes.
In addition to its status as one of Akira Kurosawa's finest films, THE HIDDEN FORTRESS is especially notable for its influence on director George Lucas's STAR WARS. Lucas admittedly borrowed much from Kurosawa's lighthearted epic; the two bickering misfits were the inspiration for R2-D2 and C-3PO, while Princess Leia was largely patterned after the feisty Lady Yukihime. Both Luke Skywalker and Han Solo contain elements of General Makabe, but neither character matches Mifune's disciplined ferocity.
3.
A general and a princess must dodge enemy clans while smuggling the royal treasure to their homeland with two bumbling, conniving peasants at their sides. Acknowledged as a primary influence on George Lucas' Star Wars, The Hidden Fortress delivers Kurosawa's inimitably deft blend of wry humor, breathtaking action and humanist compassion on an epic scale.
With this version of The Hidden Fortress, the original 1958 "perspecta Sterophonic" soundtrack will be recreated for the first time on home video. Rarely heard since the original theatrical release, Perspecta sound allows a mono signal to be panned between three front speakers, creating simulated stereo effects.
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