Hidden Fortress

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ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>                </B><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelforless/id361.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelfor"><U><B>Great Web Sites</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> Hidden Fortress</div> <bR> <div> 3.5 stars</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:leeshoquist@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:leeshoquist@aol.com"><U><U>Reviewed by Lee Shoquist</U></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> The most remarkable thing about Akira Kurosawa's films, is that each is a uniform masterpiece that, regardless of the decade created, transcends any sense of time or era, and feels as fresh and exciting today as upon first release. Though everyone has their own personal favorite, mine happens to be <I>Ran</I>.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Hidden Fortress</I>, made in 1958 and in many ways a lighthearted and uncharacteristically comic film for Kurosawa, might be mistaken for a minor film compared to the epic and majestic canvases he so often created.  But in almost every way, this is a film to be cherished and one that many Kurosawa fans count among his best.  They may be right.  </div> <bR> <div> <I>Hidden Fortress</I> unfolds like a fairly common adventure story, and by now everyone is aware that it was the inspiration for George Lucas when he created <I>Star Wars</I>.  And just like its landmark successor, it draws on the simplicity and style of the Western in its approach and execution.  There's real violence in the film, but there's also slapstick comedy.  There's large-scale action and smaller scale humanity.  </div> <bR> <div> When brave Samurai warrior Rokurota Makabe (Toshiro Mifune) is enlisted to help smuggle a plucky, disguised princess (Misa Uehara) and a fortune in gold through a heavily guarded enemy front, they're joined by a pair of selfish, bumbling peasants named Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matashichi (Kamataria Fujiwara).   Along the way, there are chases, narrow escapes and tested loyalties, all under the watchful eye of Kurosawa's expansive and splendid visual grandeur.  </div> <bR> <div> Though the simplistic real story is the transporting of the princess across enemy lines and to safety, most of the film is book-ended by and told through the eyes of the lovable peasants, who provide a whimsical and at times, sweet perspective of the farcical situation.  </div> <bR> <div> For me, <I>Hidden </I>Fortress is more than anything, a film about cinematography and enjoying a great actor at the height of his powers.  Kurosawa's ravishing black and white vistas and expertly choreographed chase scenes are more exciting than the majority of those we're bombarded with regularly in American movies.  </div> <bR> <div> Add to them a commanding Toshiro Mifune, in a fully realized, thrilling performance, and you've got the original Han Solo personified.  A Samurai warrior turned into a Western action hero protector, Kurosawa makes hero Mifune into a witty bridge between Japanese warrior and the American Old-West hero. It's a daring re-invention, to be sure, but it works beautifully and lends distinct and accessible Westernized overtones to the film.      </div> <bR> <div> At the risk of sacrificing my professional reputation here, I'm going to stand alone on a (shaky) limb and make a few critical judgments about <I>Hidden Fortress</I> that have always gotten a little under my skin and rubbed me the wrong way.  </div> <bR> <div> I find some of the comedy that arises from the peasant camaraderie too broad and at times, more than a little corny.  I also find the performance of Uehara, as the princess, to be over stylized and sometimes questionably shrill and screeching.  And though I always look forward to the pacing and vastness of Kurosawa's films and their often-extended running times, this one has always felt, to me, at certain times, well, slack.  </div> <bR> <div> But, no matter.  These are small personal issues I take with <I>Hidden Fortress</I>, which is a gem of a film in any era and even with a few flaws, stands without peer when compared with most cinema today.  It's exciting without being over the top.  It's funny in a character-driven, Chaplinesque way.  Finally, it's sweetly poetic in its conclusion; with the penniless tramps right back where they started from and the good guys finishing first.  <I>Hidden Fortress</I>, with its near-perfect blend of action and humor, feels contemporary and hasn't aged an iota.  It's an enchanting film. </div> <bR> <div> 139 Minutes</div> <div> Not Rated</div> <div> Violence</div> <div> Japanese with English Subtitles</div> <div>    </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="621" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="617"><div> Lee Shoquist © 2002</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>