Film geeks are compelled to mention this famous Japanese movie whenever there are discussions about Star Wars. Somara rented it recently which blew my mind. Blockbuster? A foreign film section? In Pflugerville? International around here usually means it comes in Spanish.
As with all of Kurosawa’s films, it’s long and I fell asleep half-way through from exhaustion, not boredom. It could be edited down by 30 minutes to tighten the narrative but its length isn’t a serious flaw. My frustration with it is a lack of backstory. Why was their a war between the Yamana and Akizuki provinces/clans? Roughly what year is it? Since the Yamana soldiers have muskets, this definitely takes place during or after Japan’s initial contact with Europeans. Is Tokugawa ruling yet? So on. Yeah, I know, it’s just a movie, sit down and enjoy it.
The story begins with a pair of peasants (C-3PO and R2-D2) wandering the aftermath of a battle. They sold their belongings to join the fight but arrived too late. The Yamana army branded them as members of the losing Akizuki side, took their gear and made them bury the dead. Now they’re going home in disgrace to Hayakawa which is adjacent to both of the feuding provinces. Unfortunately, the border between Akizuki and Hayakawa is heavily guarded so they decide to get back through Yamana territory because that border won’t be as heavily manned. Along the way they meet General Makabe (Obi-Wan Kenobi) who bullies them into helping him smuggle the only survivor of the Akizuki family, Princess Yuki (Princess Leia) and her clan’s gold (the Death Star plans) to safety. The peasants’ plan to hide in plain view is brilliant in Makabe’s eyes so he cajoles the two by appealing to their greed.
It’s an awesome story and the execution is solid which makes it’s no wonder why Lucas gambled on its foundation in the Seventies. Too bad Kurosawa didn’t get a piece of the action, I think he would’ve been more modest than Lucas. This is certainly a better tale about Japan than the miniseries which introduced me the country, the highly inaccurate Shogun starring Richard Chamberlain. If you’re looking for a change of pace, I highly recommend this.