- Hidden Fortress is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure film from that master of Japanese cinema, Akira Kurosawa. Perhaps most famous in modern times for serving as partial inspiration for the Star Wars movies, the film features some admittedly recognizable archetypes, including a spunky princess, a heroic general, and two doltish comic reliefs, but also stands quite strong on its own. The plot follows the stalwart general, Rokurota (Toshiro Mifune), who has been charged with transporting Princess Yuki Akizuki (Misa Uehara) back to the safety of the Hayamata territories. Unfortunately, the border is so well-guarded that they must traverse through enemy lands in disguise, all while carting a substantial amount of gold. That's where Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matashichi (Kamatari Fujiwara) come in.
- Although neither man would ever be mistaken for a great thinker, Tahei and Matashichi have a plan for getting back to the Hayamata regions. Moreover, the two peasants are happy to help Rokurota haul all that gold across the border (in exchange for a percentage, naturally). Two complications arise, however. One is that Rokurota sensibly wants to prevent Tahei and Matashichi from learning that they're in the presence of royalty. He therefore asks Princess Yuki to feign being mute which, as one quickly gathers from her assertive personality, would constitute quite an act indeed. The second, more serious, problem is that the two greedy peasants aren't even remotely trustworthy. They're not quite at the level of Fred C. Dobbs, but it's pretty obvious that these two fools would sell out each other and/or the entire company for just a few more bars of gold. In some respects, Rokurota's biggest challenge is to keep these two gluttons from blowing the whole operation.
- Speaking of Rokurota, Toshiro Mifune really outdoes himself this time. Always one to command a powerful screen presence, Mifune plays Rokurota as a warrior tough enough to wage an entire war single-handedly and loyal enough to actually attempt it. In a particularly impressive scene, a single swing of Rokurota's spear sends a hundred enemy soldiers fleeing backward in terror as he duels an opposing general (Susumu Fujita). Maybe they saw what he did in Sword of Doom, I don't know. Regardless, Mifune's great performance is just one memorable aspect of a film whose gorgeous scenery, impressive action, and unexpected humor would have made for great entertainment under any circumstances.
