The Hidden Fortress
The Hidden Fortress (Japanese: 隠し砦の三悪人; Kakushi toride no san akunin) is a 1958 film by Akira Kurosawa, starring Toshirô Mifune. The film is presented from the point of view of two bickering, incompetent, greedy peasants, although they are not the most important characters. Mifune stars as General Rokurota Makabe, who must escort a princess through hostile territory so she can rebuild her clan.
This film, like many by Kurosawa, influenced George Lucas in the making of Star Wars. The two peasants are the basis for Star Wars' ubiquitous droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO. Other influences include the princess, and a famous scene where Makabe chases an old rival on horseback and then participates in a duel. This scene may be the basis for the lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
