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Epic in scope and awash with striking color, Kagemusha marks Akira Kurosawa's successful return to the samurai epic. Read critic reviews
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Rent Kagemusha on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, or buy it on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu.
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Movie Info
Akira Kurosawa's lauded feudal epic presents the tale of a petty thief (Tatsuya Nakadai) who is recruited to impersonate Shingen (also Nakadai), an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. When Shingen dies, his generals reluctantly agree to have the impostor take over as the powerful ruler. He soon begins to appreciate life as Shingen, but his commitment to the role is tested when he must lead his troops into battle against the forces of a rival warlord.
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Rating: PG
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Genre: History, Drama
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Original Language: Japanese
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Director: Akira Kurosawa
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Producer: Akira Kurosawa
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Writer: Masato Ide, Akira Kurosawa
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Release Date (Theaters): original
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Runtime:
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Distributor: 20th Century Fox
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Production Co: 20th Century Fox
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Sound Mix: Dolby
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Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.85:1)
Cast & Crew
Critic Reviews for Kagemusha
Audience Reviews for Kagemusha
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Obviously it is visually stunning but the narrative is just as compelling. Kurosawa is playing with classic themes of identity here and the historical setting works well for this.
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Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior proves how important leadership is in a conflict. It tells the story of a powerful warlord, Shingen, in Japan's feudal conflict. He is wounded and before succumbing to them he orders his clan to find a double so that his enemies will not attack. I found this to be a rather interesting, enthralling and captivating piece of cinema. The study of imitation not just through physical embodiment, but also in mind. The double was a petty thief, all of sudden is then given power and responsibility of an entire clan. The gradual process of him being selfish to then becoming a role model was executed brilliantly. The beauty of it is that you can see how he is also convincing himself, the original warlord's family love him just as much as the original and he succumbs to this love. It's a different tradition, he came from following no rules to now creating them. Tatsuya Nakadai performed really well, his facial expressions were extremely emotive. I could see the fear in his eyes and the terror of bloodshed. But, again, the star of the show is Akira Kurosawa who really was a technical genius behind the camera. The first scene alone was a five minute one take shot. What a statement! Already I was hypnotised by his directing methods. His use of colour, slow panning shots during the dramatic scenes and then the frantic quick cuts during the war scenes. The production design and costumes were authentic, definitely felt like 1500s Japan. I like how different sub-clans had different coloured armour and banners, it made distinguishing the characters much easier. It's a long run time of 159 minutes and yet it didn't feel like it all, there is always something happening on screen. My only negative would be the heavy political script, there were times where I had no idea who was who or what was what. So many castle names and so many clans, I felt like I needed a notebook. Having said that, I am extremely susceptible to traditional Japan and their culture, not to mention the great performances and direction. Close to perfection!
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After a tribal leader is killed, his advisers use a double to masquerade as their dead leader. Akira Kurosawa, a master story-teller and a filmmaker whose stylistic flair is almost unmatched, brings a story that is simply unworthy of his talents. It is essentially a Japanese version of Dave (or more accurately stated, Dave is an American version of Kagemusha), and it is only Kurosawa's beautifully framed shots, engaging action choreography, and eye for character detail that keeps this film from descending into the obscure and banal wastefulness that plagues its latter-day American counterpart. Yes, I understand that Dave was meant as a cheeky comedy and Kagemusha is supposed to be profound, but I fail to see the profundity. Overall, this film is lesser Kurosawa, still engaging but far from the greatness of The Seven Samurai and Rashomon.
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Kurosawa is, as usual, a masterful storyteller
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