4/5 classic kurosawa
  by Michael C. Roussakies
loved watching this and started to watch others of kurosawa also. i can see where lucas got idea from star wars. theres no doubt that the classic movies have more than todays movies.

5/5 One of the Best films ever made
  by Alberto M. Barral (new york)
Kurosawa's mastery is prevalent in every shot of this great Japanese epic that concentrates more on the characters and their development than on the battle scenes, though when they do occur, those are great also.
It is hard to believe so many masterpieces can be made by the same person: I was very familiar with the others "Throne of Blood" is the best interpretation fo Macbeth I have ever yet seen. "Roshomon" and "Seven Samurai" either one of which would have provided a director with immortality and then on top of that there is this wonderful psychological work.This is a less known, but no less great work.
Toshiro Mifume is at his best as the fearless general Rokurota Makabe, his performance plays off the strong, silent personnality of the persecuted princess Yuki (Misa Uehara) who is the center point of the film. Her clan has been exterminated by war and only she has survived. Together with the general she has to transport the gold treasury of her clan across the enemy territory. It is a saga of danger, thrilling bluffing schemes, subtle deception and intense drama.
Minoru Chiaki as Tahei and Kamatari Fujiwara as Matakishi are extremely well suited to carry on with each other as the two stubborn, ambitious peasants that go through hell and back to get some of that gold for themselves. they are also the comic relief in this tense thriller, action packed samurai tale that also slows down ocassionally to unveil the beauties of nature in a uniquely expressive manner that is typical Kurosawa.
Please note: In the extras there is a section on awards and you will see that, like many true greats, he never won an Oscar, though he had a "lifetime" achievement award in 1990.

5/5 Do You Know What the Hidden Fortress Is??
  by John Brookes (Silicon Valley)
I have to write this review because few, if any, reviewers seem to know what the hiden fortress is, what the film is all about. The film is about duty to a larger cause, that is the hidden fortress of strength we have. THe alternative is to be greedy and small-minded, like the peasants.
This symbollism is played out over and over again in the film. For instance, in the beginning, the peasants have to climb up a rocky incline with great difficulty, but Rokurota knows a secret passageway that is much easier. This symbollizes the powerlessness of people who don't serve a higher cause, and the magic doors that open when you do.
Finally, Rokurota and the princess are seen in their secular splendor. But their attainment was always there, even as beggars.

5/5 Arguably the Finest "Comedy Adventure" of All Time
  by Gerard D. Launay (Berkeley, California)
I can't tell you the number of times I meet intelligent adults who ask me for a movie recommendation. When I suggest a foreign film ...they say, "subtitles, that's not for me." For those men and women, the one film that I ask them to see is Akira Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress." There are precious few who have not returned and told me they loved it.

To be blunt, I consider it every bit a great film as Kurosawa's boldest achievements...including "Ran", "Seven Samurai", "Red Beard", or "Ikiru." I did not always harbor this opinion, but on my seventh viewing, I gasped at the absolute perfection of the thing.

The storyline is relatively straightforward. A princess of a defeated clan and her warrior general need to escape a ring of enemy soldiers into safe territory, And they need to bring with them a treasure trove of gold sticks. As it turns out, they must (reluctantly) use the services of two bumbling, greedy peasants to carry the gold, hidden in larger sticks of wood. And the two peasants agree to do this, thirsting and bickering and plotting about the treasure.

"The Hidden Fortress" stars Toshiro Mifune as the powerful warrior samurai. But here's the catch...it is actually the two clownish peasants, played with comic genius - Minoru Chiaki and Kamarari Fujiwara - who overshadow Toshiro Mifune. Yes, they actually do. Those actors are such endearing fools; one's eyes are constantly upon them.

The film, like so many of Kurosawa's movies, is about personal transformation. Both the princess and the fools learn much about their odyssey through enemy territory, guided by the wise, loyal samurai general.

And I simply can't say enough about the brilliant cinematography and excellent use of music. They are the equal of Kurosawa's other black and white epics.

There is one scene, above all, that sticks in my mind. When the two bumbling peasants, along with hundreds of other unfortunates, are thrown into a pit to dig for gold by the enemy solders, the entire group of
slaves revolt against the soldiers and run free. Some die...some escape.
As a child of parents who had to escape the Nazi holocaust, the courage of the oppressed ones rushing to freedom, overpowering the fewer number of soldiers, reminded me of the few instances where concentration camp inmates courageously tried the same thing.

This is a magnificent film...of what it means to overcome petty greed and jealousy. But it is also "100% entertainment", as Akira Kurosawa expressed it. "The Hidden Fortress" is a model of what can be done in the genre of comedy-adventure. An absolute masterpiece.




5/5 What a Fun Movie!
  by Lynn Ellingwood (Webster, NY United States)
Action, fighting, a strong princess, and a triumphant hero. Sound familiar? George Lucas borrowed details from this movie to make Star Wars. Two peasants going home after a battle and dreaming of gold they never earned. They become involved with a General escorting a woman who wears men's clothing through enemy territory. Unbeknownst to them, she is their princess and trying to get to back to a secure fortress for safety. The adventure begins. Part Hollywood swashbuckler, part Western, this movie is great. I highly recommend it.