The Hidden Fortress

1958 Kurosawa film, so a couple of films before 'Yojimbo'. Not his best, but of course it is still fine, with some wonderful shots.
Again we have the bold images, many from below the character in question, where they stand out strongly against a plae and overexposed background. This is done especially strongly here with the evocation against the dirty and windswept background. There is also a sensational action scene on the steps, Kurosawa having the nerve to use a still camera amongst the fast action.
The reason this movie doesn't quite work as well as it could is the central conceit of following the farmers. These are the greedy fools we see elsewhere (in Shaekspeare, as others), who we think we are going to follow. Kurosawa though seems to realise there is only so much he can get out of these people, adn he eventually has to twist and turn and twist and turn that, ultimately, becomes rather too much. This film would be better off with a purer thesis in its analysis of greed, rather than the over-complex views we have at the end.
Kurosawa moves towards more the character of Mifune, who adopts a nice, distant, heroic stance. The structure is put together very nicely, though we feel that the producers may have added a few touches Kurosawa would not necessarily have himself.
A work also on the music. It is seemingly leading the audience, which isn't ideal, and can seem rather flippant and a little silly. It has two uses; to deliberately lighten the tone, and to again give an element of artifice.
As we said, it becomes a little too twisty and loses the purity of its moral message. But the road trip structure is fine, and there are interesting scenes.