Akira Kurosawa was a seismic force, the kind of artist who makes other artists question their craft. Spielberg, Scorsese, Lucas, Tarantino—you name it, they all bow, one way or another, to the man who turned samurai battles and human frailty into masterpieces.Without Kurosawa, half of modern cinema wouldn’t exist the way it does. George Lucas openly borrowed The Hidden Fortress for Star Wars. Sergio Leone reshaped Yojimbo into A Fistful of Dollars. Scorsese straight-up acted in Kurosawa’s Dreams out of reverence.What makes Kurosawa’s work so irresistible is his range. The man could swing from Shakespearean tragedy (Throne of Blood, Ran) to pulse-pounding samurai action (Seven Samurai, Yojimbo), then pivot to deeply personal human dramas like Ikiru.Ranking Kurosawa’s films isn’t about crowning a single masterpiece. It’s a guided tour through one of the most influential filmographies ever assembled.11. The Hidden Fortress (1958) Set in war-torn feudal Japan, The Hidden Fortress follows two bumbling peasants, Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matashichi (Kamatari Fujiwara), who stumble into an unexpected mission: escorting Princess Yuki (Misa Uehara) and her loyal general, Rokurota Makabe (Toshiro Mifune), through enemy territory while smuggling gold.It’s his most playful film, balancing spectacle and comedy with ease. The deep-focus cinematography adds richness to every wide shot, while the banter between the peasants became a direct blueprint for George Lucas when creating R2-D2 and C-3PO. Kurosawa takes a lighter tone but never sacrifices his precision. The energy is relentless, the compositions are meticulous, and even here, he’s layering commentary about class, duty, and...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - 3 days ago