Over a three-day period in August 2003 I got to watch seven films by Akira Kurosawa at a local arts theater. The middle day was particularly exhausting - eight hours of samurai movies with less than 20 minutes of break time between them. The first was one of the most technically brillant films ever made. The second was not as well-constructed, but more exciting and a bit goofy. The third was a competent, but fairly standard "kill the bad guys" flick. It's the second one that, imperfect as it is, remains my favorite of the revered director's catalog.
The first film was, of course, The Seven Samurai, often referred to as Japan's best movie ever. The third was the highly acclaimed Yojimbo, which didn't impress me too much. It's a fine film by most standards, but I have seen it again since the festival and my opinion has not changed. Over this time period I also saw High and Low, Ikiru, Rashomon, and Throne of Blood. All great films, but this will be Kurosawa's last appearance on my list.
The Hidden Fortress has a princess-in-danger plot that is considered to be an inspiration for Star Wars. George Lucas has admitted as much. It starts with two morons, Tahei and Matashichi (the actors were both samurai a few years before, talk about a demotion!) returning to their village after an unsuccessful attempt to profit from the war. They bicker constantly, split up, get re-captured, and manage to escape again mostly due to luck. Since the border they need to cross is heavily guarded, they plan a long route through hostile terroritory to get back to their homeland. That idea becomes central to the plot.
Their luck changes again on their trip when then come across a gold bar with an imperial crest. The crest is from the recently defeated Akizuki clan. The villagers know that there is a lot more gold missing, so they go about finding it when a more reasonable plan would have been to use the gold to get home. Eventually they attract the attention of Rokoruto Makube, a samurai charged with the protection of the last surviving member of the Akizuki clan, Princess Yuki. The villagers know there's a price on her head and would gladly provide information in return for reward. Makube is smart not to trust these guys, but he needs help to move the gold. Without many options and with time running out, he decides to take the risk.
We are introduced to the young princess, a 16-year old girl who is clearly overwhelmed with her circumstances. She doesn't understand why so many are willing to sacrifice their lives for her. Their hideout - the fortress - will not stay hidden much longer and a neighboring province will offer asylum. As this is also where the villagers are going, Makube decides their plan might work and those two dolts might be good for something after all. The elders know that the princess's speech and mannerisms will likely give her away - the main characters are already suspicious - so she agrees not to speak for the duration of the trip. This leads the villagers to wonder if she is also deaf and also to some of the funniest sequences in the film.
Once they hit the road, Tahei and Matashichi look for any opportunity to bail. This frustrates Makube to no end, who tells them more than once to take some gold and go. They eventually realize they won't survive without him. Some trickery gets them through the first border and they manage to stay a step ahead of the bad guys. When they stop in a small village for the night ("hiding in plain sight") the Princess observes a young woman from her old province being degraded and offered for sale. She implores Makube (in private) to buy her, and the group increases by one. The new woman insists of helping where she can.
As clever as Makube is, eventually there will be a fight. One rather magnificent duel, with spears no less, showcases the samurai's skill. In contrast with the rest of the film, this scene is slow and deliberate. The duel is sooned followed by the Fire Festival, which the villagers joined to blend into the environment. As usual their actions just generated more suspicion. This scene provides some of the best imagery, especially in black-and-white, and its effect on the Princess is visible. You can tell she has never seen anything like this before, no matter how perfectly she mimicks the dance moves.
The last few scenes include the group's inevitable capture and inevitable escape. Tahei and Matashichi switch alliances a few more times, even turning on each other, before the film ends... making you wonder if they ever learn anything. This is far from the perfect movie, but it has stayed with me over the years. It's high-energy plot and endearing imperfections increase its appeal. I'd be surprised if people still weren't referencing The Hidden Fortress fifty years from now... and not just in reference to Star Wars.