{"id":1114,"date":"2006-05-21T11:03:38","date_gmt":"2006-05-21T18:03:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=1114"},"modified":"2024-05-28T23:10:38","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T06:10:38","slug":"hidden-fortress-the-1958","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=1114","title":{"rendered":"Hidden Fortress, The (1958)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;I saw people as they really are&#8230; I saw their beauty and their ugliness with my own eyes.&#8221; <\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Poster-212x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"212\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-28997\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Poster-212x300.jpg 212w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Poster-90x128.jpg 90w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Poster.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 212px) 100vw, 212px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nIn war-torn feudal Japan, two greedy peasants (Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara) accompany a general (Toshiro Mifune), a disguised princess (Misa Uehara), and bundles of hidden gold across enemy lines.\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Akira Kurosawa Films<\/li>\n<li>Fugitives<\/li>\n<li>Gold Seekers<\/li>\n<li>Greed<\/li>\n<li>Japanese Films<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken or Hidden Identities<\/li>\n<li>Royalty and Nobility<\/li>\n<li>Toshiro Mifune Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review:<\/strong><br \/>\nAs Peary writes, this Japanese epic is &#8220;often exciting&#8221; and &#8220;consistently funny&#8221;.  Indeed, it&#8217;s an excellent mixture of comedy (provided in no small measure by the bumbling peasants), adventure (the chase scene on horseback is particularly stunning), suspense (will the band of travelers make it to safety?), and social commentary (the sheltered princess is given an unprecedented chance to see &#8220;ordinary&#8221; life for the first time). It&#8217;s well-known by most film buffs that George Lucas took inspiration from this film when writing the screenplay for <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=9345\"><em>Star Wars<\/em> (1977)<\/a> &#8212; primarily in his choice to frame the story through the eyes of two of the lowliest characters (C3PO and R2D2).  In <em>Hidden Fortress<\/em>, however, the bumbling peasants do more than simply frame the story &#8212; they serve as literal archetypes of foolish greed, while Mifune&#8217;s General Rokurota is a contrasting paragon of loyalty and stalwart bravery.  In the end, nobility wins out, and the fools are left to their own quibbling devices once again.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> In his review, Peary points out that Uehara wears &#8220;what is definitely the skimpiest, sexiest outfit of any female in a Japanese costume picture.&#8221; This is true, yet Uehara&#8217;s shorts are ultimately much more than cheesecake fodder: they allow her more freedom of movement than a kimono, and her sturdy stance proves that she is capable of enduring a long journey through the wilderness. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Princess Shorts.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Princess Shorts.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1118\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Princess Yuki may be beautiful and sexy, but more importantly, she can hold her own in a man&#8217;s world.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Misa Uehara as the strong-willed, sexy young Princess Yuki.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Princess.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Princess.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-62383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Princess.jpg 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Princess-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Princess-128x72.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Princess-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Princess-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Toshiro Mifune&#8217;s dignified, undying loyalty to his princess.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Mifune.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Mifune.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-62379\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Mifune.jpg 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Mifune-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Mifune-128x72.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Mifune-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Mifune-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Chiaki and Fujiwara&#8217;s highly physical comedy<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Peasants.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Peasants.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-62382\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Peasants.jpg 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Peasants-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Peasants-128x72.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Peasants-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Peasants-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Stunning black-and-white cinematography (as always with Kurosawa)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Cinematography.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Cinematography.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-62380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Cinematography.jpg 853w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Cinematography-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Cinematography-128x72.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Cinematography-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/05\/Hidden-Fortress-Cinematography-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes. This one of Kurosawa&#8217;s most enjoyable films, not to be missed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Foreign Gem<\/li>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0051808\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.moviediva.com\/MD_root\/reviewpages\/MDHiddenFortress.htm\">Movie Diva Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I saw people as they really are&#8230; I saw their beauty and their ugliness with my own eyes.&#8221; Synopsis: In war-torn feudal Japan, two greedy peasants (Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara) accompany a general (Toshiro Mifune), a disguised princess (Misa Uehara), and bundles of hidden gold across enemy lines. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Akira Kurosawa Films Fugitives Gold Seekers Greed Japanese Films Mistaken or Hidden Identities Royalty and Nobility Toshiro Mifune Films Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: As Peary writes,&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=1114\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1114"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1114\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97186,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1114\/revisions\/97186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}