The Hidden Fortress (1958)
隠し砦の三悪人
Drama, Action, Adventure • 2h 19m
Overview
In feudal Japan, during a bloody war between clans, two cowardly and greedy peasants, soldiers of a defeated army, stumble upon a mysterious man who guides them to a fortress hidden in the mountains.
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshirō Mifune, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara, Misa Uehara, Susumu Fujita, Takashi Shimura, Ikio Sawamura, Kōji Mitsui, Takeo Oikawa, Yū Fujiki, Yutaka Sada, Haruo Suzuki, Haruya Sakamoto, Hiroyoshi Yamaguchi, Minoru Itō, Shigekatsu Kanazawa, Shin Ōtomo, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Eiko Miyoshi, Toranosuke Ogawa, Kokuten Kōdō, Etsurō Saijō, Fuminori Ōhashi, Masayoshi Nagashima, Takeshi Katō, Toshiko Higuchi, Kichijirō Ueda, Nakajirō Tomita, Yoshibumi Tajima, Akira Tani, Haruo Nakajima, Ichirō Chiba, Makoto Satō, Ryū Kuze, Sachio Sakai, Senkichi Ōmura, Shōichi Hirose, Takuzō Kumagai, Yoshio Kosugi, Rinsaku Ogata, Tadao Nakamaru
Director: Frank Capra
Director: Frank Capra
France Rimini 4K Blu-ray see caps vs Artificial Eye Blu-ray
France Rimini 4K Blu-ray see caps vs Artificial Eye Blu-ray
Directors: Alberto Cavalcanti & Charles Crichton & Basil Dearden & Robert Hamer
Directors: Alberto Cavalcanti & Charles Crichton & Basil Dearden & Robert Hamer
Director: Otakar Vávra
Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray see nic review
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.
Director: Otakar Vávra
Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray see nic review
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.
Director: Robert Rossen
Director: Robert Rossen
Director: Anthony Mann
Director: Anthony Mann
Director: Basil Dearden
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
Director: Basil Dearden
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
Director: Jacques Becker
Director: Jacques Becker
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Director: Akira Kurosawa
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
Director: Akira Kurosawa
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
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Criterion 4K Blu-ray: intact grain compared to Toho/BFI UHDs' DNR'd master
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
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Criterion 4K Blu-ray: intact grain compared to Toho/BFI UHDs' DNR'd master
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
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Italy Eagle Pictures 4K Blu-ray >StudioCanal UK (slightly better encoding on Eagle?)
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.
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Italy Eagle Pictures 4K Blu-ray >StudioCanal UK (slightly better encoding on Eagle?)
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.
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Director: Akira Kurosawa
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.
Director: Akira Kurosawa
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.
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Director: Mike Hodges
Director: Mike Hodges
Director: François Truffaut
Director: François Truffaut
Wicked Vision 4K Blu-ray upcoming
New 4K restoration without Ritrovata color timing
Wicked Vision 4K Blu-ray upcoming
New 4K restoration without Ritrovata color timing
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray or 2018 Olive Films/BFI or 2012 Olive Films/Italy Sinister Films Blu-ray, all three are not ideal.
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray or 2018 Olive Films/BFI or 2012 Olive Films/Italy Sinister Films Blu-ray, all three are not ideal.
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has frozen grain, sharpening, lots of debris, and handles lesser materials. The supposed non-Superscope version is false advertising. It merely reveals more picture information.
1992 Republic Pictures LaserDisc PCM Mono
Criterion LaserDisc has exclusive commentary. Olive Films Signature Blu-ray and BFI Blu-ray each have exclusive extras. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has exclusive commentary.
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray or 2018 Olive Films/BFI or 2012 Olive Films/Italy Sinister Films Blu-ray, all three are not ideal.
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray or 2018 Olive Films/BFI or 2012 Olive Films/Italy Sinister Films Blu-ray, all three are not ideal.
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has frozen grain, sharpening, lots of debris, and handles lesser materials. The supposed non-Superscope version is false advertising. It merely reveals more picture information.
1992 Republic Pictures LaserDisc PCM Mono
Criterion LaserDisc has exclusive commentary. Olive Films Signature Blu-ray and BFI Blu-ray each have exclusive extras. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has exclusive commentary.
Director: Jack Glenn
BFI 720p Streaming: https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/collection/the-march-of-time no longer available
BFI 720p Streaming: https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/collection/the-march-of-time no longer available
Director: Jack Glenn
BFI 720p Streaming: https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/collection/the-march-of-time no longer available
BFI 720p Streaming: https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/collection/the-march-of-time no longer available
BFI Pioneers of African American Cinema boxset Blu-ray is likely better than Kino Lorber boxset
BFI Pioneers of African American Cinema boxset Blu-ray is likely better than Kino Lorber boxset
Directors: James Gist & Eloyce Gist
BFI Pioneers of African American Cinema boxset Blu-ray is likely better than Kino Lorber boxset
Library of Congress also have an official HD Streaming https://www.loc.gov/item/2021604059/
Directors: James Gist & Eloyce Gist
BFI Pioneers of African American Cinema boxset Blu-ray is likely better than Kino Lorber boxset
Library of Congress also have an official HD Streaming https://www.loc.gov/item/2021604059/
Edit History
6/15/2026
Best Audio Release
From
Toho Japan 4K Blu-ray's OG Perspecta & mono (filtered but still sounds better than unfiltered 2009 Toho Blu-ray).
BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and stereo downmix of it; no original mono.
To
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.
From
Toho Japan 4K Blu-ray's OG Perspecta & mono (filtered but still sounds better than unfiltered 2009 Toho Blu-ray).
BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and stereo downmix of it; no original mono.
To
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
From
The way Perspecta works is it just changes volume and panning of the mono across L/C/R channels depending on embedded control tones, so realistically all mixes are just the mono, but it's still a big shame that we get a stereo (presumably a downmix of Prespecta...?) rather than than proper mono.
To
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.
From
The way Perspecta works is it just changes volume and panning of the mono across L/C/R channels depending on embedded control tones, so realistically all mixes are just the mono, but it's still a big shame that we get a stereo (presumably a downmix of Prespecta...?) rather than than proper mono.
To
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.
1/6/2026
Best Audio Release
From
Toho Japanese 4K Blu-ray's OG Perspectra & mono (filtered but still sounds better than unfiltered 2009 Toho Blu-ray). BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and stereo remix/downmix, and no OG mono.
To
Toho Japan 4K Blu-ray's OG Perspecta & mono (filtered but still sounds better than unfiltered 2009 Toho Blu-ray).
BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and stereo downmix of it; no original mono.
From
Toho Japanese 4K Blu-ray's OG Perspectra & mono (filtered but still sounds better than unfiltered 2009 Toho Blu-ray). BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and stereo remix/downmix, and no OG mono.
To
Toho Japan 4K Blu-ray's OG Perspecta & mono (filtered but still sounds better than unfiltered 2009 Toho Blu-ray).
BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and stereo downmix of it; no original mono.
12/24/2025
Additional Info
From
The way Perspecta works is Italian just changes volume and panning of the mono across L/C/R channels depending on embedded control tones, so realistically all mixes are just the mono, but Italian's still a big shame that we get a stereo (presumably a downmix of Prespecta...?) rather than than proper mono.
To
The way Perspecta works is it just changes volume and panning of the mono across L/C/R channels depending on embedded control tones, so realistically all mixes are just the mono, but it's still a big shame that we get a stereo (presumably a downmix of Prespecta...?) rather than than proper mono.
From
The way Perspecta works is Italian just changes volume and panning of the mono across L/C/R channels depending on embedded control tones, so realistically all mixes are just the mono, but Italian's still a big shame that we get a stereo (presumably a downmix of Prespecta...?) rather than than proper mono.
To
The way Perspecta works is it just changes volume and panning of the mono across L/C/R channels depending on embedded control tones, so realistically all mixes are just the mono, but it's still a big shame that we get a stereo (presumably a downmix of Prespecta...?) rather than than proper mono.
12/5/2025
Best Audio Release
From
Toho JPN UHD's OG Perspectra & mono (filtered but still sounds better than unfiltered 2014 Toho BD). BFI UHD has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and stereo remix/downmix, and no OG mono.
To
Toho Japanese 4K Blu-ray's OG Perspectra & mono (filtered but still sounds better than unfiltered 2009 Toho Blu-ray). BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and stereo remix/downmix, and no OG mono.
From
Toho JPN UHD's OG Perspectra & mono (filtered but still sounds better than unfiltered 2014 Toho BD). BFI UHD has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and stereo remix/downmix, and no OG mono.
To
Toho Japanese 4K Blu-ray's OG Perspectra & mono (filtered but still sounds better than unfiltered 2009 Toho Blu-ray). BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and stereo remix/downmix, and no OG mono.
12/5/2025
Best Audio Release
From
BFI UHD has Perspecta and stereo mixes and no original mono
To
Toho JPN UHD's OG Perspectra & mono (filtered but still sounds better than unfiltered 2014 Toho BD). BFI UHD has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and stereo remix/downmix, and no OG mono.
From
BFI UHD has Perspecta and stereo mixes and no original mono
To
Toho JPN UHD's OG Perspectra & mono (filtered but still sounds better than unfiltered 2014 Toho BD). BFI UHD has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and stereo remix/downmix, and no OG mono.
12/4/2025
11/27/2025
Best Audio Release
From
BFI UHD has Perspecta and stereo mixes and no original mono which is unfortunate: The way Perspecta works is it just changes volume and panning of the mono across L/C/R channels depending on embedded control tones, so realistically all mixes are just the mono, but it's still a big shame that we get a stereo (presumably a downmix of Prespecta...?) rather than than proper mono
To
BFI UHD has Perspecta and stereo mixes and no original mono
From
BFI UHD has Perspecta and stereo mixes and no original mono which is unfortunate: The way Perspecta works is it just changes volume and panning of the mono across L/C/R channels depending on embedded control tones, so realistically all mixes are just the mono, but it's still a big shame that we get a stereo (presumably a downmix of Prespecta...?) rather than than proper mono
To
BFI UHD has Perspecta and stereo mixes and no original mono
Additional Info
Added
The way Perspecta works is Italian just changes volume and panning of the mono across L/C/R channels depending on embedded control tones, so realistically all mixes are just the mono, but Italian's still a big shame that we get a stereo (presumably a downmix of Prespecta...?) rather than than proper mono.
Added
The way Perspecta works is Italian just changes volume and panning of the mono across L/C/R channels depending on embedded control tones, so realistically all mixes are just the mono, but Italian's still a big shame that we get a stereo (presumably a downmix of Prespecta...?) rather than than proper mono.
8/23/2025
Best Audio Release
From
BFI UHD has Perspecta and stereo mixes
To
BFI UHD has Perspecta and stereo mixes and no original mono which is unfortunate: The way Perspecta works is it just changes volume and panning of the mono across L/C/R channels depending on embedded control tones, so realistically all mixes are just the mono, but it's still a big shame that we get a stereo (presumably a downmix of Prespecta...?) rather than than proper mono
From
BFI UHD has Perspecta and stereo mixes
To
BFI UHD has Perspecta and stereo mixes and no original mono which is unfortunate: The way Perspecta works is it just changes volume and panning of the mono across L/C/R channels depending on embedded control tones, so realistically all mixes are just the mono, but it's still a big shame that we get a stereo (presumably a downmix of Prespecta...?) rather than than proper mono
8/20/2025
Best Audio Release
Added
BFI UHD has Perspecta and stereo mixes
Added
BFI UHD has Perspecta and stereo mixes
8/20/2025
Best Video Release
From
BFI UHD coming soon
To
BFI 4K Blu-ray has excellent master and grade, no DNR and tasteful HDR
From
BFI UHD coming soon
To
BFI 4K Blu-ray has excellent master and grade, no DNR and tasteful HDR
6/5/2025
