yeah this is definitely Star Wars.I honestly didn’t really know what to expect going into this. Coming directly off Ran and immediately putting this on was such a massive tonal shift. This film isn’t nearly as grandiose or apocalyptic, but that absolutely doesn’t make it lesser. If anything, it just proves how unbelievably versatile Kurosawa was as a filmmaker.
Star WarsI was told about the Star Wars similarities before watching, so I spent most of the movie looking out for them… which basically meant the entire runtime.
The two peasants are incredibly similar to R2D2 and C-3PO. They provide most of the comedic relief while also acting as the audience’s eyes and ears throughout the adventure. Their constant greed, cowardice and accidental involvement in a much larger conflict feels almost identical to the dynamic Lucas would later use in Star Wars.
The comparison between Princess Yuki and Leia is also spot on. They’re both strong female leads who completely avoid the stereotypical “helpless princess” role. Both are in hiding, both are commanding, and both refuse to let fear define them.
General Makabe also slowly started reminding me of Obi-Wan Kenobi, especially once I realized how much of his role is built around quiet wisdom, discipline and protecting the princess at all costs.
Seriously, people always call Star Wars “space westerns” or “space cowboys,” but I need people to start putting more respect on Kurosawa’s name. From now on it’s space samurai.
Both stories follow grand adventures where unlikely travelers are thrown together while trying to survive political conflict, war and enemy pursuit.
The peasantsKurosawa’s decision to tell the story through two poor peasants is honestly genius.
Instead of focusing entirely on royalty, war strategy or epic heroism, the movie constantly grounds itself in ordinary human flaws like greed, selfishness, cowardice and ego.
Like I said earlier, they’re hilarious. Their constant arguing and scrambling for gold makes the movie incredibly entertaining, but what makes them work so well is how REAL they feel.
Most people in their situation probably wouldn’t act heroically either. They aren’t noble warriors or brave revolutionaries, they’re just two desperate men trying to survive and profit from chaos however they can.
And because they’re so selfish, cowardly and impulsive, they accidentally make the larger political world around them feel even more believable. Kurosawa uses them almost as a bridge between the audience and the grander adventure.
Adventure and cinematographyAside from just feeling like Star Wars, this movie is also visually incredible.
Kurosawa is genuinely one of the greatest blocking directors ever. The way he positions characters against landscapes, movement and environmental elements constantly makes every frame feel alive.
In my Ran review I said you could pause the movie at any moment and it would look like a beautiful painting, but after watching this I realized that it’s more than just color and composition that creates that effect.
It’s movement.
Kurosawa stages movement within the frame better than almost anybody I’ve ever seen. Characters constantly move through environments in ways that make scenes feel fluid and cinematic instead of static. The horseback sequences, chase scenes and group blocking all flow with such natural energy that the movie almost feels effortless.
And despite the movie constantly moving forward, Kurosawa never loses visual clarity. Every action scene remains easy to follow because the framing is so carefully constructed.
The princessPrincess Yuki is genuinely great.
Aside from clearly inspiring characters like Leia and countless other strong female leads after her, she also feels surprisingly modern as a character even today.
She’s commanding, proud and stubborn throughout the entire film, fully embracing her royal authority even while fleeing enemy territory.
But what makes her so compelling is that beneath that harsh exterior she deeply feels the suffering of her people.
While the greed of the peasants and the cold military strategy of Makabe dominate large portions of the film, Yuki acts as the emotional heart of the story and almost serves as its moral compass.
Her tougher exterior cracks during moments of genuine empathy, especially when mourning people who sacrifice themselves for her survival. Those moments make her feel deeply human rather than simply symbolic royalty.
And honestly, Misa Uehara’s performance deserves far more praise than it gets. She balances authority, vulnerability and emotional intelligence so naturally that Yuki never feels one dimensional.
Apparently Mieko Harada even studied Uehara’s performance while preparing for Lady Kaede in Ran, which honestly makes complete sense. You can absolutely see traces of that commanding intensity and controlled emotional presence carried over between the two performances.
Final takeawayI honestly had such a good time with this.
After something as emotionally devastating and apocalyptic as Ran, this felt like Kurosawa proving that he could make absolutely anything while still maintaining his signature visual mastery and humanity.
What impressed me most is how effortlessly entertaining the movie is. Beneath all the adventure, humor and action there’s still commentary on class, greed, leadership and war, but Kurosawa never lets those themes overwhelm the fun of the journey itself.
The blocking, movement and pacing are all masterful, and seeing how much this influenced Star Wars honestly just made me appreciate both films even more.
Kurosawa really was one of one.
favorite lines"Hide a stone among stones and a man among men."
"To defeat an enemy yet let him live may seem kind, but it’s cruel!"
10/10 peasants 
