The Hidden Fortress

"What you make of another's kindness is up to you."

1958 2h 19m JA

🙌

8.0

BANGER

🔥

96%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

IMDB

★8.0TMDB · 747🍅96%Rotten Tomatoes●89Metacritic★8IMDB · 44,452

DramaActionAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In feudal Japan, during a bloody war between clans, two cowardly and greedy peasants, soldiers of a defeated army, stumble upon a mysterious man who guides them to a fortress hidden in the mountains.

“What you make of another's kindness is up to you.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Toshirō Mifune
General Rokurota Makabe
Minoru Chiaki
Tahei
Kamatari Fujiwara
Matashichi
Misa Uehara
Princess Yuki
Susumu Fujita
General Hyoe Tadokoro
Takashi Shimura
General Izumi Nagakura
Ikio Sawamura
Gambler (uncredited)
Kōji Mitsui
Guard (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Writers: Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Ryuzo Kikushima
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

68 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Akira Kurosawa, shot by Kazuo Yamasaki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Masaru Satō. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Akira Kurosawa shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Toshirō Mifune and Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "What you make of another's kindness is up to you.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0051808 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Akira Kurosawa directs. Kazuo Yamasaki behind the camera. Masaru Satō scores. Akira Kurosawa cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

168 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Akira Kurosawa, shot by Kazuo Yamasaki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Masaru Satō. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Akira Kurosawa shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Toshirō Mifune and Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "What you make of another's kindness is up to you.".
7IMDB entry: tt0051808 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 8 themes, including "japan", "male friendship", "border crossing", "jidaigeki".
9Released under 10 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Kazuo Yamasaki
Original score: Masaru Satō
Editing: Akira Kurosawa
Production design: Yoshirō Muraki
Makeup / hair: Junjirō Yamada
Runtime: 139 min · 2h 19m
Status: Released
Box office: $57,673
Original language: JA
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Hidden Fortress (1958)
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 89/100
IMDB rating: 8/10 · 44,452 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Awards

4 wins & 1 nomination total

FIPRESCI Prize at Berlinale
Silver Bear for Best Director

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Akira Kurosawa

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-01-24
★ 7/10
Now though top billing and much of the screen time is afforded to Kurosawa regular Toshirô Mifune ("Gen. Makabe") this film really belongs to the two opportunistic farmers "Matakichi" (Kamatari Fujiwara) and "Tahei" (Minori Chiaki). These two chancers learn of a fortune in gold hidden away after their land is invaded by their neighbours. Off they set to discover it, and along the way stumble upon the general in his mountain-top eerie. Now it's not really a fortress, more a big shack at the top of a hill, but they soon discover it hides something way more valuable than gold. The Princess "Yuki" (Misa Uehara) who is wanted by her enemies even more than the treasure. Their bumbling ineptitude and curiosity married with their greed and of course - acute sense of self preservation - leads them to join with the fleeing couple and for all four to try and smuggle the princess and the loot to the safety of an adjacent kingdom where safety awaits. What ensues now is a series of entertaining and perilous adventures that allow each character to take centre stage. Mifune is very much in his element as the loyal, chivalrous - and pretty lethal - general; the Princess is no shrinking violet either and along the way we are entertained to an engaging assessment of the venality, mendacity and couragousness of war - it brings out the best and the worst in everyone. There is an almost Laurel and Hardy feeling to the end of this perfectly paced adventure film, which certainly raises a smile and I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Production companies