One is not always a prophet in one’s land. Despite enjoying acclaim and success at various points in his career, Akira Kurosawa had his moments of being considered too “western” in his concerns and in the themes of his films. They weren’t really wrong, because his cinema has become a fundamental pillar for many of the filmmakers who revolutionized Hollywood cinema in the seventies.
It had its great classics, which crossed borders. He had the great samurai adventures and other great works anchored in melodrama, which are enough to become a benchmark. However, it was one of his works considered minor, even if it was a commercial success, which has sustained one of those movies that changed everything forever. Some critics considered it shallow, but clearly someone saw that ‘the hidden fortress‘ had a lot to offer.
Ordinary heroes and a princess
That someone was George Lucas, who has acknowledged in the past his sympathy for the film and has highlighted the influence it has had on Star Wars. Both in the original film and in everything he’s done since. A sample of the influence of oriental cinema to design this galactic universe, and which is probably the best alternative plan to watch streaming (both in Filmin and in Acontra+) during the 4th of May.
The movies take us to a powerful war conflict in feudal Japan of the 16th century. Two privates escape the war to try to survive, or even get rich quick. A circumstance that the famous general played by Toshirô Mifune decides to take advantage of, who creates a perfect cover for the princess of the kingdom while preparing a new offensive to finally liberate the country.
The character of the princess and that of Mifune are the most heroic conventionally speaking of this function, while these peasants fleeing from a war started and promulgated by others have a little epic character, almost from a novel by Cervantes, but the story is told through them. That decision by Kurosawa is what Lucas refers to when talking about the influence of ‘The Hidden Fortress’ in his film, later using the characters of the droids as a method to introduce us to this vast universe.
‘The hidden fortress’: humanist epic
It’s not just this approach to the adventure from the lower status characters where the influence is noticeable. Mifune’s General has many features that resemble Obi-Wan Kenobi (in fact, Lucas tried to cast the actor in this role, perhaps to come full circle), and his journey is quite similar. Kurosawa’s use of humor to lighten the adventure is also something Lucas takes note of, as is the use of wide, desert landscapes to create vibrant scenes with which to visualize the development of the characters.
Even the character of the princess who launches a rebellion is referenced for the creation of Leia Organa, although it can be argued that Kurosawa’s character can have more involvement and heroic moments. The moments where the lower-ranking characters must decide whether to choose the morally correct path (a trait that was also considered too Western by the Japanese public) also mark characters like Han Solo, in addition to putting the issue back on the table. director’s ability to combine great visual spectacle with humanism.
Far from what it may seem, ‘The Hidden Fortress’ is not just a great adventure film with more lightness than other samurai films by the director. There are spaces for details of neorealist cinema to relate the economic difficulties that the nation is experiencing to explain the motivation of these protagonists, in addition to the great epic moments such as the initial battle. Kurosawa was able to deliver on all fronts, giving an immense film that deserves to be considered anything but minor.
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