The Hidden Fortress (1958)

 Akira Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress"


First and foremost, we should address the elephant in the room. Before going in to watch Akira Kurosawa's 1958 "The Hidden Fortress," I was fully aware of the impact it had on George Lucas' 1977 box-office explosion "Star Wars." While watching the film, I did notice all sorts of parallels. From plot points, to camera shots, to the way the editing was done. I think it is safe to say that it's easy to draw such parallels. However, I found myself finding "The Hidden Fortress" far more preferable to "Star Wars." 

I began the film in a state of boredom, not sure if the story would get going soon. However, the story becomes increasingly more tense and exciting as our characters go further and further into their mission. I feel as though this movie leaned far more heavily on the adventure aspect over the thematic aspects. However, there were some thematic aspects to be had. I noticed that, like all of Kurosawa's films, he likes to ponder what to do about the chaos of humanity we find ourselves in. In the beginning, we are with two beggars caught in a state of chaos after a war. They are greedy, even to each other, and constantly fighting over gold. Once they are roped in to this political mission, the audience meets two heroes, a princess and her knight. The knight has honor, setting a standard beyond greed and beyond the dirtiness of human evil. As the princess travels, pretending to be a mute, she discovers (as she says later) the full scope of humanity, all its beauty and ugliness. As she says, she finally sees humanity without pretense. She sees the full chaos of humanity. Through this high stakes mission, Kurosawa uses this exploration and contrasts it to the negative debasing behavior and greed of everyone else. He visually demonstrates to us the need to construct our society using grace and honor, and to leave chaos and greed at the door.

I believe you could look at "The Hidden Fortress" through this lens. After their adventure, all the characters feel the same way. Even the two greedy beggars are no longer fighting over a piece of gold. Rather, it was the experience of doing something for a noble cause that elevated their humanity. Even if you do not read this into the picture, the picture itself is a fine adventure film, full of excitement and entertainment. I feel as though, as I continue to watch Kurosawa, I have equal pull between the entertainment factor of his films and the more abstract artistic themes being presented. I feel as though there is enough of both in his work to go around.



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