The Hidden Fortress (1958)

9/10. I've been re-watching films I really liked that I've only seen once, as in this case, or haven't seen in many years. I think I liked this even more the second time. Terrific mixture of humor, action, adventure and something much deeper. Toshirô Mifune was such a bad ass. But a bad ass with incredible soul. And I may have finally realized that when all is said and done, Akira Kurosawa is my favorite director. I just love the way he constructs his films, the combination of many cinematic and literary elements, good stories, great characters, and amazing photography. Misa Uehara as Princess Yuki is wonderful, and the two clowns at the center of the film, Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara, are pretty amazing, giving us one of the funniest and most painful portrayals of human greed and stupidity ever put on film.