Seven Samurai1954
Paired by the Criterion Channel, both directed by Akira Kurosawa, both with commentary by Stephen Prince, and both starring Minoru Chiaki and Toshirō Mifune
The Hidden Fortress
隠し砦の三悪人
Japan / Japanese / 1958 / 2h 19m
- Criterion Collection
- Spine №116
- Commentary
- 1 track on the Channel player
Synopsis
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.
