Plot Summary: Two peasant farmers are refugees, trying to return home after a war. They ... (more) (view trailer)
User Rating: 8.0/10 (1099 votes)
Credited cast overview: Minoru Chiaki .... Tahei Susumu Fujita .... General Hyoe Tadokoro Kamatari Fujiwara .... Matakishi Toshiko Higuchi .... The Farmer's Daughter Toshir� Mifune .... General Rokurota Makabe Eiko Miyoshi .... Lady-in-waiting Takashi Shimura .... The Old General, Izumi Nagakura Kichijiro Ueda .... Girl-Dealer Misa Uehara .... Princess Yukihime Koji Mitsui .... Soldier Tadao Nakamaru .... Young Man Rinsaku Ogata .... Young Man Shiten Ohashi .... Samurai Ikio Sawamura .... Gambler
Also Known As: Hidden Fortress, The (1962) (USA) Three Bad Men in a Hidden Fortress (1958) (International: English title: literal title) Three Rascals in the Hidden Fortress (1958) (International: English title) Runtime: 139 / USA:126 Country: Japan Language: Japanese Color: Black and White Sound Mix: Mono Certification: Finland:K-16
This is my third Kurosawa film, having already seen "Ran" and "The Seven Samuri". George Lucas has a feature on the DVD, talking about how the film, and Kurosawa in general, influenced him, and that this movie was in his mind as he wrote the screen play for "Star Wars". He goes to say that he didn't use direct elements of the film in SW, but as I watched the movie, I saw where Han, Obi Wan, Princess Leya, R2, CP30 and Lando all came from. Plus some of, or at least one of, the scenes were direcly adapted to SW.
I love this film, and look forward to seeing more of Kurosawa's work, as well as Toshir� Mifune who played General Rokurota Makabe, our hero for this film.
-------------------- Sparky:: Think! Question Authority, Authoritatively. “Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see.” EMSparks
Shalamar: To save face, keep lower half shut.
Registered: Jun 1999
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*grumbles at Lucas and all that inspired-by-myth bullshit*
-------------------- "I was surprised by the matter-of-factness of Kafka's narration, and the subtle humor present as a result." (Sizer 2005)
Registered: Mar 1999
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-------------------- "Lotta people go through life doing things badly. Racing's important to men who do it well. When you're racing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting."
-Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney, LeMans
Registered: Mar 1999
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Besides, you can get the Volkswagen version. Much cheaper...
-------------------- "Lotta people go through life doing things badly. Racing's important to men who do it well. When you're racing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting."
-Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney, LeMans
Registered: Mar 1999
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I tried to watch the Hidden Fortress once, but I couldn't sit through it. Not because it was not in English, but because the Japanese acting style is very different and the movie seemed very slow, so I just turned it off. Maybe now I'll be able to watch it the entire way through.
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the phantom edits are easy to find, if you're interested. Chances are good a Local Video Store has a copy, even.
Registered: Jan 2001
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I wonder if a Phantom Edit could save EpII?
Hidden Fortress is probably a little slow for American audiences at first. It does pick up a bit after Toshiro Mifune shows up. He's just great to watch. It is interesting to see the parallels with Star Wars, particularly in regards to the droids. Gotta love Kurosawa. We look forward to your thoughts on Yojimbo and Rashomon, Kosh.
-------------------- "Nah. The 9th chevron is for changing the ringtone from "grindy-grindy chonk-chonk" to the theme tune to dallas." -Reverend42
Registered: Sep 2000
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