A grand-scale adventure as only Akira Kurosawa could make one. A general charged with guarding his defeated clan's princess as the two smuggle royal treasure across hostile territory. Accompanying them are a pair of bumbling, conniving peasants who may or may not be their friends. This rip-roaring ride is among the director's most beloved films and was a primary influence on George Lucas's Star Wars. Delivers Kurosawa's trademark deft blend of wry humor, and breathtaking action.
Janus Films ; Toho Scope ; executive producers, Sanezumi Fujimoto and Akira Kurosawa ; screenplay by Ryuzo Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, Shinobu Hashimoto and Akira Kurosawa ; directed by Akira Kurosawa.
Originally released as a motion picture in 1958.
Widescreen (2.39:1).
Special features: Commentary (features film historian Stephen Prince); Akira Kurosawa: it is wonderful to create (documentary from 2003 on the making of the film and its widescreen cinematography); George Lucas on Akira Kurosawa (interview from 2001 with the filmmaker, pays tribute to the visual mastery of Kurosawa and details the elements of the film that directly inspired Star Wars); Trailer. Booklet features an essay by film scholar Catherine Russell.
Toshiro Mifune, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara, Susumu Fujita, Takashi Shimura, Misa Uehara, Eiko Miyoshi, Toshiko Higuchi.
DVD; NTSC, region 1; monaural; Dolby digital; widescreen (2.39:1)
Japanese dialogue; English subtitles.
Cinematography by Ichio Yamazaki ; music by Masaru Sato ; editing, Chozo Obata ; art direction, Yoshiro Muraki ; costume design, Masahiro Kato.
