Film Screening - Windows on Mifune: The Hidden Fortress

Sun Jul 10 2022 at 03:00 pm to 05:20 pm

Japan House London | London

Japan House London
Publisher/HostJapan House London
Film Screening - Windows on Mifune: The Hidden Fortress
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Explore the career of actor Mifune Toshirō with a free screening of 'The Hidden Fortress', which inspired George Lucas's Star Wars saga.
About this Event

The Hidden Fortress (1958) by Kurosawa Akira is the fourth instalment in Japan House London’s film season ‘Windows on Mifune’, dedicated in shedding light on the monumental career of Japanese acting icon Mifune Toshirō. This film blends elements of fairy tale with samurai action in a legacy that has exerted a major influence in cinema worldwide with George Lucas having taken inspiration from the story for the first film in his Star Wars series.

More a bracing adventure exploring the value of morality in a corrupt world than a tale of heroes, the story follows greedy peasants Matashichi (Fujiwara Kamatari) and Tahei (Chiaki Minoru) who leave their homes to make their fortunes as soldiers of the Yamana clan. They eventually cross paths with two strangers hiding in a camp who, unbeknown to the peasants, are really the famous enemy Akizuki clan general Makabe Rokurota (Mifune) and the Princess Yuki (Uehara Misa) in disguise.

The peasants agree to help them escape Yamana territory in return for gold, while the general decides to keep their identities secret. Mifune stars outstandingly in his role as the stoic general Makabe, balancing his signature overly masculine demeanour with a humorous personality that concur to make his intimidating character even more believable.

The film was also Kurosawa’s first experiment with the widescreen system of Tohoscope, which he exploited to the fullest in the rich variety of landscape locations, and it was awarded the Golden Bear at the 1959 Berlin Film Festival.

This film is in Japanese with English subtitles. Duration: approx. 118 minutes. Please note that this movie is rated PG and is therefore not considered suitable for an audience younger than 8 years old unaccompanied.

Before making your booking you might want to note the following:

  • Every guest will require their own ticket.
  • The screening will begin at the start of the allotted time on your ticket. We advise that guests arrive at least 5-10 minutes before the screening begins. Please note we are unable to guarantee entry to those who arrive after the screening has begun.
  • Guests will also be able to access the Ground Floor, including The Shop, The Stand and our cultural installations (tickets are not required here).
  • If you have any problems with using this system to book your ticket, please email us at [email protected] with your preferred date and time.
  • Please exercise caution in keeping a safe distance from other guests and members of staff. Japan House London continues to cap capacity but this will be increased.

Full details of our safety measures and guidelines for our guests (including FAQs) are available at www.japanhouselondon.uk/covid.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Japan House London, Kensington High Street, London, United Kingdom

Tickets

USD 0.00

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