Review of Hidden Fortress

For my review, I watched Kurosawa Akira’s Kakushi-Toride no san-akunin (The Hidden Fortress). This film was released in 1958, four years after the release of Shichinin no samurai. I have always really enjoyed Kurosawa’s work and felt that I should further explore his significant catalogue. The film stars many actors who also worked with Kurosawa in Shichinin no Samurai: Mifune Toshiro, Chiaki Minoru, Fujiwara Kamatari, and a cameo by Shimura Takashi. Kakushi-Toride no san-akunin also stars Uehara Misa. The many similar actors between this movie and Shichinin no samurai express quite well how Kurosawa often stuck to actors that he knew best, most obviously Mifune and Shimura.
Kakushi-Toride no san-akunin is one of Kurosawa’s many jidaigeki films. These are historical pieces generally taking place in the Edo period which spanned from 1600 to 1867. These films were often associated with chambara, or sword fighting, since they were often focused upon samurai. Some of Kurosawa’s best films are of this genre. These include Rashomon (1950), Shichinin no samurai (1954), and Kumonosu-jō or Throne of Blood (1957). However, Kurosawa was also noted for not always conforming directly to jidaigeki conventions. Whereas some films of the genre were often shallow, Kurosawa’s rarely if ever come off as such. As Donald Richie writes in A Hundred Years of Japanese Film, “The mature Kurosawa style, one which creates a realism of its own, is put to the uses of an equally realistic but personal morality. Such abstract values as heroism, dignity, virtue, even bravery for its own sake do not interest him. In this his films are far from the ordinary period-film.” Kurosawa brought a depth to his jidaigeki, as he did with all of films, which was not the status quo. His off the beaten path approach can even be seen in Kakushi-Toride no san-akunin. The film does not follow the traditional jidaigeki style. In many ways, it is almost a satire of the stereotypical historical film as it features major characters that are distinctly not heroic.
This is evident also in the plot of Kurosawa’s film. Kakushi-Toride no san-akunin follows two greedy peasants, Chiaki Minoru and Fujiwara Kamatari, who ventured from their home in an attempt to profit from a war between the Yamana and Akizuki clans. However instead of fortune, the pair is left destitute in a foreign land. While attempting to return to their homeland of the Hayakawa clan, the peasants, Tahei and Matakishi, unwittingly come across two important figures of the defeated Akizuki clan. These are General Rokurota Makabe, played by Mifune, and Princess Yuki, Uehara. The distinguished pair is also attempting to reach the allied lands of Hayakawa so that, with the use of the two hundred gold pieces they possess, they can attempt to rebuild the Akizuki clan and retake their land. Rokurota fools the two peasants into venturing with them by playing on their greed. He offers Tahei and Matakishi a portion of the gold upon the end of their journey. However, the commoners kept unaware of whom they journey with. The strange group of travelers decides that the easiest way to get to Hayakawa is to travel through Yamana—the country desperately searching for the princess and her general—as the border between in Yamana and Akizuki is heavily guarded. The four set off through the dangerous land ahead with essentially only the wits and skill of Rokurota to guide them.
As Richie stated in his book, Kurosawa does not present a straight forward tale. Instead, he presses the audience to comprehend the moral lesson which he envisions. Kurosawa used his jigaideki films as way to reflect upon modern society. In Kakushi-Toride no san-akunin, he provides a number of possible morals, letting the viewer decide what he thinks. The first theme that I notice is how Kurosawa condemns any waste of life. This is best represented in the actions of Princess Yuki. She is always sensitive to the plight of others. This leads to underlying conflict with her position. She is the potential future Akizuki, and as such, those who wish for their clan to once more regain its status are more than willing to make necessary sacrifices so that she can survive. Yet, this is a situation she is completely uncomfortable with.
The first time that we view her distress at the waste of life is at the hidden fortress, an Akizuki secret stronghold where she and Rokurota are hiding along with a number of other clan members. She is told that Rokurota’s sixteen year old sister has made the ultimate sacrifice for her. In Rokurota’s words, “Kofuyu served her duty.” Kofuyu was executed in her stead so that she had a better chance to escape. Yet to the great disdain of her matron, Yuki outraged as opposed to grateful. She calls the general a fool for so willing giving up his sister and eventually storms out of the cave in which they are speaking. Yuki sees herself as no better than anyone else, despite whatever position she may hold. She confirms this when she says, “Kofuyu was 16…I am 16. What difference is there in our souls?”
This theme is compounded as the group continues their quest. Upon stopping at an inn to stay the night, Yuki, who at this point is pretending to be mute in order to hide her royal upbringing, comes upon an Akizuki woman who has been sold into slavery following the invasion. The inn keeper who owns the woman verbally assaults her telling her that she is worthless. He actively tries to sell off right before he very eyes. Seeing this, Yuki orders General Rokurota to purchase her as she cannot bear to see another suffer, much less one who was of her people. In doing so, there is now a new member to the group as the unnamed slave follows the two peasants, the princess, and the general in their journey.
There are other examples of message confirming the value of life throughout the film yet to reveal more would let slip primary information about the later stages of the film. So where is Kurosawa trying to go with this though? What is he trying to tell his Japanese audience? The most obvious application is he is in some way criticizing the Bushido code. Kurosawa is confirming that life should not be aimlessly thrown away when there is yet use for it. However as is the case in most of Kurosawa’s messages, nothing is so black and white. For, it is not as if as a viewer we can condemn Kofuyu for giving up her life so that her lady might survive. To do so would be a base action. This is also applies to the members of the clan who stayed at the hidden fortress. Shortly following Rokurota and the others leaving, the forces of Yamana find the where the princess and general were only a short time ago. Realizing that they needed to buy time for their princess, the older general, played by Shimura and the others remaining fight to the death against the enemy. It is the response of Rokurota that best signals this aspect of Kurosawa’s message. He wastes no time in using the opportunity that the Akizuki clan members provided him and immediately intended to venture forth rather than stagnate in the woods. Rokurota essentially provides a counter balance to Yuki in that he considers the lives sacrificed a necessity but also is sure not let their sacrifice go to waste.
Kurosawa provides an interesting view. That while the life is sacred and should be respected, to not honor another who gives up his or her life is much worse. Kakushi-Toride no san-akunin is an excellent jidaigeki which provides several other lessons for the viewer in addition to this one. It features excellent acting from Mifune Toshiro and great comedic relief provided by Chiaki Minoru and Fujiwara Kamatari. I recommend the film as it is as enjoyable to watch as it is deep in the messages of Kurosawa Akira.