Two lowly farmers conscripted into the army, Matashichi (Kamatari Fujiwara) and Tahei (Minoru Chiaki), are making their way home following a devastating defeat. After being captured by the enemy and escaping, they find themselves in a mountain region at a loss as the borders are being patrolled by the enemy. Their fortune changes when they discover a secret stash of gold, but their joy is short-lived when they encounter a man who turns out to be Rokurota Makabe (Toshiro Mifune), the general of the now fallen Akizuki clan. Makabe shows them to a hideout in the mountains where Princess Yuki (Misa Uehara) is sequestered, attempting to flee the country and rebuild her family’s fortunes in a foreign province. The pair are persuaded to join Makabe and the princess, with the promise of vast wealth from their secret stash of gold.
Directed by Akira Kurosawa, with a screenplay by Kurosawa, Ryuzo Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, and Shinobu Hashimoto, “The Hidden Fortress” is an action-packed samurai tale. With its slightly fantastical plot involving a horde of gold, a secret base, and the interplay of both the lowborn protagonists with their highborn compatriots, the film proivides one entertaining scenario after another, from our heroes multiple close calls with the enemy and their atttempts to escape capture, to Makabe’s duel with a rival samurai. The comedic performances of Fujiwara and Chiaki, whose bumbling, bickering farmers represent the common man are amusing and off-set the serious tone of Mifune’s loyal, stoic and calculating general. Misa Uehara, who is forced to act as a mute for large parts of the film, is perfect as the impetuous and imperious princess. The film balances the humour and tragedy, creating sympathetic characters, who play well off one another. Masaru Sato’s score provides the perfect accompaniment to the drama, from its inauspicious beginnings to a triumphant ending, with the various trials along the way.
“The Hidden Fortress” features a simple plot told from two perspectives, that of the farmers, who are attempting to get home and largely concerned with their own safety and worldly wealth; and the selfless general, whose sole intention is to preserve the royal line. Their conflicting worldviews can be seen as a broader social statement on the difference between rich and poor, the ruling and labouring classes. The film has a largely positive view of the noble Makabe; whose unwavering service to the princess comes before the vast hoard of gold they are transporting. His willingness to sacrifice himself in order to save others, and his intelligence in formulating a plan to get them safely into the neighbouring province, stand in stark contrast to the avaricious and inept farmers, with their selfish attempts to flee with as much gold as they can carry. However, the film rewards the two at the end, with Makabe acknowledging their help in enacting the plan, suggesting that despite the backgrounds of the characters, and apparent difference in their importance to society, all are capable of heroism, whether through large gestures or small.
