The Hidden Fortress

For all I’ve heard about The Hidden Fortress, I had never heard it was a comedy: two doofuses hijack an epic war story and spend most of the time counting their coin while the proper heroes mourn the dead. Not all of the jokes work and the energy wanes over the course of its considerable runtime, especially in the second act, but it’s refreshing to watch an old war film that doesn’t take itself seriously and offers up that even shitworms (the film’s word, not mine) can be worthwhile. Nowhere close to Kurosawa’s best, but arguably a fine entry point.

7