Misa Uehara

Documentary made by Toho for the Masterworks reissue of all of its Kurosawa films. This one focuses on "The Hidden Fortress" (1958).

Lt. Koji Kitami is a navigator-bombardier in Japan's Naval Air Force. He participates in the Japanese raid on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in 1941 and is welcomed with pride in his hometown on his return. As Japan racks up victory after victory in the Pacific War, Kitami is caught up in the emotion of the time and fights courageously for the standard of Japanese honor. But his assuredness of his government's righteousness is shaken after the Japanese navy is defeated in the debacle of Midway.

The legend of the birth of Shintoism. In Fourth Century Japan, the Emperor's son Ouso expects to succeed his father on the throne, but Otomo, the Emperor's vassal, prefers Ouso's stepbrother, and conspires to have Ouso die on a dangerous mission he has contrived. But Ouso prevails in the mission and returns to his father's castle under a new name, Prince Yamato Takeru. Otomo plots to have the Prince sent into even greater danger, but Otomo is unaware that the gods have favored the Prince and the outcome is far from what any of them expected.

第二次世界大戦末期の北支戦線。クズ兵士ばかりを集め危険な任務に当たらせる“独立愚連隊”と呼ばれる部隊に、従軍記者の荒木がやってくる。交戦中に中国人慰安婦と心中したという、見習士官のことを調べに来たという。実は荒木の正体は大久保元軍曹であり、彼こそ見習士官の実の兄であり、弟の死の真相を知るため戦地に赴いたのだった。死んだ慰安婦の妹から紙片を渡された大久保は、弟が上官の不正を部隊長に告発しようとして、その上官から逆に殺されたことを知る。

A modern love story involving different affairs.

Lord Taro must deliver a money chest but is robbed by brigands led by Jibu. One of Jibu's men, Rokuro, steals the money from Jibu, but after meeting and befriending Taro, Rokuro decides to return the money to Taro. But Taro's unscrupulous brother Jiro falsely accuse Taro of the theft, and Taro reactively joins the outlaw band and encourages them to steal from the nobles and give to the poor.

戦国時代、秋月家の武将・六郎太は、生き残った世継ぎの雪姫と共に隠し砦(とりで)にこもる。六郎太たちは、一獲千金をもくろみ、戦に参戦した農民の太平と又七に軍資金の黄金を背負わせ、敵陣を突破して友好国へ逃げ込もうとするが…。次々にふりかかる絶体絶命の危機を切り抜けていく大脱出劇。 狂言回し的な百姓コンビが、後に「スターウォーズ」の“C-3PO”“R2-D2”のモデルとなったことはあまりにも有名な話。