Saturday Afternoon at the Japanese Cinema is a monthly event showcasing Japanese movies. The movie and snacks are free courtesy of the MBT Sangha (temple members). Movies are shown each month except when the temple’s Social Hall is scheduled for other activity – so please check our website or call the temple to confirm the date – 312.943.7801.
The featured movie this month is: Hidden Fortress (with english subtitles)
Where: MBT Social Hall
When: November 16, 1:00 pm
Suggested Donation: The movie and snacks are free!
Register: Please RSVP (email: office@mbtchicago.org or phone: 312.943.7801)
About Hidden Fortress
Japanese peasants Matashichi (Kamatari Fujiwara) and Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) try and fail to make a profit from a tribal war. They find a man and woman whom they believe are simple tribe members hiding in a fortress. Although the peasants don’t know that Rokurota (Toshirô Mifune) is a general and Yuki (Misa Uehara) is a princess, the peasants agree to accompany the pair to safety in return for gold. Along the way, the general must prove his expertise in battle while also hiding his identity.
When people talk about the cinematic influences of Star Wars, the first movie that will come out of most mouths will be Flash Gordon. The second, though, is almost always Akira Kurosawa’s 1958 classic The Hidden Fortress. This film tells the tale of Japanese peasants trying to escape a war between provinces and find themselves aiding a general and a princess on the run. Although there are lines and shots lifted straight out of The Hidden Fortress that made their way into A New Hope, legend grew about how influential it really was to the first Star Wars films. I find the more interesting parallels come out in the prequels. The film is undoubtedly one of Kurosawa’s masterpieces, a breathless adventure film fused with heart and humor. It was also his first to be shot in an anamorphic format, ushering in an all new look for his films moving forward. And, although George Lucas undersells the influence on Star Wars, there’s no denying that its impact was indelible.
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