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The Hidden Fortress (1958)
The Hidden Fortress (1958) poster
Letterboxd

4.2

Best English-Friendly Release

Best Video Release

BFI 4K Blu-ray has excellent master and grade, no DNR and tasteful HDR

Best Audio Release

Restored original mono mix: Toho Japan 4K Blu-ray
Unrestored original mono: 2014 BFI Blu-ray

BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and a stereo downmix of it; no original mono.

Additional Info

The unrestored track on BFI's earlier release appears to be an almost entirely unmanipulated transfer of the original mix. It suffers from a distracting low-frequency hum. The 4K restoration comes with a restored track, which appears to be the same transfer, but which appears to be cleaned up with a moderate amount of noise reduction and some EQ, nicely opening up the high-end, and which is likely to be preferable to most listeners. All earlier releases sound poor.

Perspecta isn't a discrete surround format, instead only relying on manipulating volume and panning of the mono track across L/C/R channels, based on embedded control tones. As such, even the Perspecta track is technically just the mono mix, though the omission of the proper mono on BFI's 4K is still unfortunate.

Format

UHD Blu-ray

UHD Tiers

Excellent
BFI:

UK Import

Featured Lists

Is this Perfect?

mono important?

Criterion Forum

Review

Picture: 6, Audio: 5, Extras: 3

Length

139 mins

Type

Movie

Alternative Titles

Three Bad Men in a Hidden Fortress, Three Rascals in the Hidden Fortress

Last Updated

3 months ago

Contributors

Best English-Friendly Release
Best Video Release

BFI 4K Blu-ray has excellent master and grade, no DNR and tasteful HDR

Best Audio Release

Restored original mono mix: Toho Japan 4K Blu-ray
Unrestored original mono: 2014 BFI Blu-ray

BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and a stereo downmix of it; no original mono.

Additional Info

The unrestored track on BFI's earlier release appears to be an almost entirely unmanipulated transfer of the original mix. It suffers from a distracting low-frequency hum. The 4K restoration comes with a restored track, which appears to be the same transfer, but which appears to be cleaned up with a moderate amount of noise reduction and some EQ, nicely opening up the high-end, and which is likely to be preferable to most listeners. All earlier releases sound poor.

Perspecta isn't a discrete surround format, instead only relying on manipulating volume and panning of the mono track across L/C/R channels, based on embedded control tones. As such, even the Perspecta track is technically just the mono mix, though the omission of the proper mono on BFI's 4K is still unfortunate.

Format
UHD Blu-ray
UHD Tiers
Excellent
BFI:

UK Import

Featured Lists
Is this Perfect?

mono important?

Criterion Forum
Review

Picture: 6, Audio: 5, Extras: 3

Length
139 mins
Type
Movie
Alternative Titles
Three Bad Men in a Hidden Fortress, Three Rascals in the Hidden Fortress
Last Updated
3 months ago
Contributors

Part of Is this Perfect?

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Curzon 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Curzon 4K Blu-ray with much better encoding than the Gaumont Blu-ray with the same 4K restoration see caps

Criterion Blu-ray uses an older restoration

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Curzon 4K Blu-ray

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Curzon 4K Blu-ray with much better encoding than the Gaumont Blu-ray with the same 4K restoration see caps

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Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray

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Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray see nic review

Best Audio:

Restored: Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray
Unrestored: Czech PAL DVD

Preferences will vary, the restored track sounds good, but not necessarily faithful to the original elements.

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray see nic review

Best Audio:

Restored: Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray
Unrestored: Czech PAL DVD

Preferences will vary, the restored track sounds good, but not necessarily faithful to the original elements.

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Best Video:

Indicator 4K Blu-ray. Excellent 4K master and encode, except for opticals grain is very fine, grading is beautifully silvery and luminous, nice HDR re-grade by Fidelity in Motion

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Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray: intact grain compared to Toho/BFI UHDs' DNR'd master

Best Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray is good, derived from the 1995 Criterion LaserDisc (which would be minimally better due to its lack of filtering) see blah-ray

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UHD Blu-ray
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Criterion 4K Blu-ray: intact grain compared to Toho/BFI UHDs' DNR'd master

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Criterion 4K Blu-ray is good, derived from the 1995 Criterion LaserDisc (which would be minimally better due to its lack of filtering) see blah-ray

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1080p Blu-ray
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Imprint AU Blu-ray

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BFI UK Blu-ray

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BFI UK Blu-ray

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1080p Blu-ray
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BFI UK Blu-ray

Best Video:

BFI UK Blu-ray

Best Audio:

BFI UK Blu-ray

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Carlotta > Criterion 4K Blu-ray see caps: https://slow.pics/c/s7AfL3XW

Grain is sharper/clearer on the new Carlotta/Criterion 4K; BFI's grain resolves slightly worse and more so in motion, being a standard Blu-ray; The Toho 4K's grain is softer, probably DNR'd.

Best Audio:

Toho 1993 LaserDisc

BFI Player used to have the same mastering available to stream in 2019.

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Carlotta > Criterion 4K Blu-ray see caps: https://slow.pics/c/s7AfL3XW

Grain is sharper/clearer on the new Carlotta/Criterion 4K; BFI's grain resolves slightly worse and more so in motion, being a standard Blu-ray; The Toho 4K's grain is softer, probably DNR'd.

Best Audio:

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BFI Player used to have the same mastering available to stream in 2019.

Stray Dog poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray, caps

As with other Kurosawa 4K's, Criterion has a less processed master than Toho and BFI.

Best Audio:

Criterion NTSC DVD overall. The 4K restoration's track is denoised and sounds muffled, but has a few of moments where it edges out in detail

Audio analysis between the Criterion 4K Blu-ray, BFI Blu-ray and Toho 4K Blu-ray

Stray Dog poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray, caps

As with other Kurosawa 4K's, Criterion has a less processed master than Toho and BFI.

Best Audio:

Criterion NTSC DVD overall. The 4K restoration's track is denoised and sounds muffled, but has a few of moments where it edges out in detail

Audio analysis between the Criterion 4K Blu-ray, BFI Blu-ray and Toho 4K Blu-ray

Ran poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

StudioCanal/Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Italy Eagle Pictures 4K Blu-ray >StudioCanal UK (slightly better encoding on Eagle?)

Best Audio:

Japan 4K Restoration Blu-ray has original 4.0

Additional Info:

The US Criterion DVD has some unique supplements with 2.0 surround audio - this release contains Japan end titles.

The Japan 4K Restoration Blu-ray has some exclusive features with 4.0 audio (though the release is not English-friendly)- this release contains Japan end titles.

The StudioCanal releases contain France end titles - while their 4K Blu-ray releases contain identical features.

Ran poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

StudioCanal/Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Italy Eagle Pictures 4K Blu-ray >StudioCanal UK (slightly better encoding on Eagle?)

Best Audio:

Japan 4K Restoration Blu-ray has original 4.0

Additional Info:

The US Criterion DVD has some unique supplements with 2.0 surround audio - this release contains Japan end titles.

The Japan 4K Restoration Blu-ray has some exclusive features with 4.0 audio (though the release is not English-friendly)- this release contains Japan end titles.

The StudioCanal releases contain France end titles - while their 4K Blu-ray releases contain identical features.

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1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

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Best Video:

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Best Audio:

Australia Imprint Blu-ray for surround Russian and English audio/Spain A Contracorriente for monaural Russian audio

Additional Info:

The Spain Blu-ray has the lossless mono mix (the main feature is not English-friendly however), alongside an exclusive conversation in English (with optional Spain subtitles)

The Japan DVD has a "It Is Wonderful to Create" documentary (though the disc is not English-friendly)

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1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Australia Imprint Blu-ray

Best Video:

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Best Audio:

Australia Imprint Blu-ray for surround Russian and English audio/Spain A Contracorriente for monaural Russian audio

Additional Info:

The Spain Blu-ray has the lossless mono mix (the main feature is not English-friendly however), alongside an exclusive conversation in English (with optional Spain subtitles)

The Japan DVD has a "It Is Wonderful to Create" documentary (though the disc is not English-friendly)

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Best Video:

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Best Audio:

BFI Streaming

Additional Info:

The subtitles of Criterion  and BFI are translated differently. See BR forum.

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray or BFI 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

No clear winner, Criterion SDR 4K Blu-ray has better defined grain and is cleaned-up more thoroughly. But looks grayer and flatter in daytime scenes. BFI 4K Blu-ray's HDR/DV is better in contrast but the grading can be debatable.

Best Audio:

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Additional Info:

The subtitles of Criterion  and BFI are translated differently. See BR forum.

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UHD Blu-ray
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159 min cut: Fox Blu-ray

Best Video:

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159 min cut: Fox Blu-ray

Best Audio:

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

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159 min cut: Fox Blu-ray

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

BFI Blu-ray has better detail. Severin 4K Blu-ray has HDR but poor encode.

Best Video:

BFI Blu-ray renders grain structure better than Severin 4K Blu-ray’s disappointing encode, although Severin does feature an HDR grading with Dolby Vision. Furthermore, Severin’s soundtrack is worse due to the noise reduction applied.

Additional Info:

Severin 4K Blu-ray has very good extras that are more relevant to the film

Best English-Friendly:

BFI Blu-ray has better detail. Severin 4K Blu-ray has HDR but poor encode.

Best Video:

BFI Blu-ray renders grain structure better than Severin 4K Blu-ray’s disappointing encode, although Severin does feature an HDR grading with Dolby Vision. Furthermore, Severin’s soundtrack is worse due to the noise reduction applied.

Additional Info:

Severin 4K Blu-ray has very good extras that are more relevant to the film

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1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

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Best Audio:

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Best Audio:

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1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

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Best Audio:

TBD: BFI Blu-ray’s mono sounds clean. No hiss but not noticeably muffled/filtered either. No known comparisons against older releases.

Best English-Friendly:

BFI Blu-ray

Best Video:

BFI Blu-ray: strong VDMS encode of a 4K scan.

No comparisons available against France Potemkine or Japan IVC. They are presumably from the same master, but do not feature English subs.

Best Audio:

TBD: BFI Blu-ray’s mono sounds clean. No hiss but not noticeably muffled/filtered either. No known comparisons against older releases.

Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Wicked Vision 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

BFI 4K Blu-ray scheduled for October 2026 release

Best Video:

Wicked Vision 4K Blu-ray see caps

Additional Info:

2019 BFI Blu-ray is the older master but better encode + extra footage than Criterion Blu-ray

Italy CG Entertainment Blu-ray is 4K resto, but horrible colours.

Best English-Friendly:

Wicked Vision 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

BFI 4K Blu-ray scheduled for October 2026 release

Best Video:

Wicked Vision 4K Blu-ray see caps

Additional Info:

2019 BFI Blu-ray is the older master but better encode + extra footage than Criterion Blu-ray

Italy CG Entertainment Blu-ray is 4K resto, but horrible colours.

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DVD
Best English-Friendly:

BFI DVD or Apple TV HD Streaming

Best Video:

BFI DVD or Apple TV HD Streaming no comparison available 

Additional Info:

New 4K restoration is going to world premiere on TIFF

Best English-Friendly:

BFI DVD or Apple TV HD Streaming

Best Video:

BFI DVD or Apple TV HD Streaming no comparison available 

Additional Info:

New 4K restoration is going to world premiere on TIFF

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The Hidden Fortress (1958) backdrop