Just viewed THE HIDDEN FORTRESS by director Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshiro Mifune.
The film is very good. The version I just seen was wide screen. The film kinda follows two farmers/peasants that bump into a princess and her protector general Ching. Some scenes that are really good are the prisoner riot against the troops armed with early rifles on a wide Japanese fortress staircase along this high wall. Then there was the the horseback chase on the road followed by the duel of the generals. The story is also very good. They are hiding this gold trying to get it and the princess into the next province/country undetected. Some great twist and turn along the way. This is a Japanese classic.
Yeah I loved this movie, was a great flick to watch.
Huh, some coincidence--I just stayed up to nine in the morning watching this very film! Then I got my arse online and ordered the "Kurosawa Classics" DVD set--"Yojimbo," "Sanjuro," "The Seven Samurai," and "The Hidden Fortress" all in one package.
To say that "The Hidden Fortress" is the least of these four is not to insult it, but to praise the other three all the more. My favorite is "Yojimbo;" Toshiro Mifune is just brilliant there, even more than usual.
I'm sure everyone knows how often these films have been "adapted" into other genres: as mentioned in another recent thread, "Yojimbo" was turned into "A Fistful of Dollars" and Bruce Willis' "Last Man Standing;" "Seven Samurai" became "The Magnificant Seven," "Battle Beyond The Stars," "A Bug's Life," and many more--and every geek worth their rubber Vulcan ears knows "The Hidden Fortress" inspired quite a bit of material in "Star Wars." I'm surprised "Sanjuro" hasn't been tapped repeatedly.
I cannot believe I have to order from the UK if I want "Throne of Blood" on DVD! That's complete and utter ********. Still, at least I can get "Rashomon," "Kagemusha," "Ran," "Dreams," and "High and Low" on DVD easily...my God, just looking at the IMDB's Akira Kurosawa merchandise list is making me horny and poor. :) He was an amazing man, even his less-than-truly-excellent films are fascinating. His film versions of Shakespeare are the only ones I can stomach.
If you don't mind subtitles, you really should watch at least a few of Kurosawa's films.
I also enjoyed the movie and recommend Kurosawa. Sadly, I have no more to say beyond that.
"Come on, Homer. Japan will be fun! You liked Rashomon."
"That's not how I remember it."
" "Come on, Homer. Japan will be fun! You liked Rashomon."
"That's not how I remember it." "
Did they actually say that? If so, I can't believe I didn't notice it.
Sure! That is, natch, from the "Japan" episode. And now, back to "Battling Seizure Robots!"
LOL!
"HOMER
If we wanted to see japanese people we could have gone to the zoo!
Marge:
HOMER!
HOMER:
What!? they guy who cleans out the elephants den is japanese, His name is takeshi
Marge glares at homer
HOMER:
He's in my book club!"
Kurosawa films are what most of us think of when we mean good international cinema. It does take a lot for me to not fast forward dureing the "Slow" scenes. Too much impaticence! I have to let the films roll on, and just get into the mood. Not easy, for us Gajin. Did i spell that right, Squish?
Ran, Kagamusha, Yojimbo, and the 7 Samauri are my favs. Ran in particular. Man....talk about your epic sweep! Hummm....time to break out the old discs agine!
How can you consider Kurosawa to be a great director? He never even made a Godzilla movie. Sheesh . . .
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Just got done watching this Kurosawa film. It takes place around the turn of the century and is about a Russian exploration party who come into contact with an aboriginal Siberian by the name of Dersu Uzala. He becomes their guide while they are mapping the wilderness. The captain of the party forms a lasting friendship with the man.
It's not the greatest of Kurosawa movies, but it's still pretty good. It's very similar in form and content to what a modern American film would be in regards to Native Americans. The film isn't subtle, that's for sure.
Anyway, the most amusing part of the whole thing was the preview for the film I watched after the movie was over. About the last thing I expected to see were the words "Roger Corman presents". Yup, the movie was released in the States by New World. There you have it, I guess.
Burgomaster, I. Honda, master of Kaiju goodness, used to work as second unit director for Kurosawa. Are those good props of what?
Whatever else one can say about Roger Corman, the God Incarnate who has given us "Attack of the Crab Monsters", everyone here should know of his love of and promotion of obscure foreign/art films.
It is a documented fact that Corman gave Ingmar Bergman a much-needed financial and morale boost with his US distribution and promotion of "Cries and Whispers", which was at the time a flop in Europe and Sweden. It has since become a successful picture, widely viewed as one of Bergman's best, but Bergman was so wiped out by its initial failure that he seriously considered giving up film-making.
So there you have it: Shlockmeister Supremo, herr Corman, is responisible for perpetuating a wide variety of Art-films in America (And the world), as well as his own inimitable output. Bless you Roger . . .
peter johnson
The Detroit Film Theater had a Kurosawa retrospective this Fall, and if you're in the area, you can go catch Ikiru there tomorrow, at 4:00 or 7:15. A friend and I were going to go catch it tonight, but she had an accident she needs to recuperate from (nothing serious), and I really don't like the idea of going into Detroit alone (We live on the Canadian border).
BTW, as great as Kurosawa is, I still think Mizoguchi and Ozu are even greater.