The Hidden Fortress

Akira Kurosawa's THE HIDDEN FORTRESS is a paradigm of the modern adventure epic--a marvelously entertaining blend of a simple but strong plot, exhilarating action scenes, tongue-in-cheek humor, and a solid philosophical underpinning. Toshiro Mifune gives a towering performance as a general in 16th-Century feudal Japan who aids a dethroned princess whose clan has been defeated in a civil war. With the aid of two buffoonish farmers, the general escorts the princess through hostile territory and transports 170 pounds of gold bars to a hidden fortress in the woods. Originally released in the US in a truncated 90-minute print, the film was not shown outside of Japan in ...