The Hidden Fortress
Criterion Collection Edition #116
Directed by Akira Kurosawa • 1958 • Japan
Starring Toshiro Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki
A grand-scale adventure as only Akira Kurosawa could make one, THE HIDDEN FORTRESS stars the inimitable Toshiro Mifune as a general charged with guarding his defeated clan’s princess (a fierce Misa Uehara) as the two smuggle royal treasure across hostile territory. Accompanying them are a pair of bumbling, conniving peasants who may or may not be their friends. This rip-roaring ride is among the director’s most beloved films and was a primary influence on George Lucas’s STAR WARS. THE HIDDEN FORTRESS delivers Kurosawa’s trademark deft blend of wry humor, breathtaking action, and compassionate humanity.
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The Hidden Fortress
Directed by Akira Kurosawa • 1958 • Japan
Starring Toshiro Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru ChiakiA grand-scale adventure as only Akira Kurosawa could make one, THE HIDDEN FORTRESS stars the inimitable Toshiro Mifune as a general charged with guarding his defeated clan’s princess (a fierce Misa Ueha...
Extras
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THE HIDDEN FORTRESS Commentary
Recorded in 2013, this audio commentary features film historian Stephen Prince, author of “The Warrior’s Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa.”
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George Lucas on Akira Kurosawa
In this 2001 interview, filmmaker George Lucas pays tribute to the visual mastery of director Akira Kurosawa and details the elements of THE HIDDEN FORTRESS that directly inspired STAR WARS.
