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Mood:
Stylized Captivating Atmospheric Clever
Plot:
Mind and Soul Samurai Switching Roles Mistaken Identity Battles Dishonesty Heroes Military more...
Genres:
Drama Period Foreign Action Historical War
Time/Period:
16th Century
Place:
Asia Japan
Praise:
Award Winner Critically Acclaimed Cannes Festival Winner Prestigious Awards
Style:
Epic
Attitudes:
Serious Realistic Slow
Flag:
Violent Content

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Overview

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Kagemusha, 1980

Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki

Directed by: Akira Kurosawa

Written by: Masato Ide

Language: Japanese

Country: Japan

Runtime: 180 min

MPAA Rating:

Rating:7.9

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Profile of Kagemusha

The mood of Kagemusha is stylized, captivating, and clever. The plot centers around themes of mind and soul, switching roles, and samurai. It is a drama, foreign, and period movie. Stylistically, Kagemusha is epic. In approach, it is serious and realistic. The pacing is slow. Kagemusha is set in Japan. It happens in the 16th century. The movie is known for being a Cannes festival winner and critically acclaimed. Note that Kagemusha includes violent content.

Summary of Kagemusha

In this dazzling epic from Akira Kurosawa, a petty thief named Kagemusha (Tatsuya Nakadai) gets saved from a death sentence because he resembles the warlord Shingen Takeda (also Nakadai). The warlord has been fighting two other leaders for control of 16th-century Japan and impersonators often take his place during battles to put him out of harm's way. Because of Kagemusha's strong physical similarities to the warlord, he's a perfect choice for a "shadow warrior." However, the arrangement suddenly changes when Shingen gets fatally wounded while watching a battle. Adhering to Shingen's final wish, the warlord's men keep the death a secret, and Kagemusha struggles to transform himself from a criminal into a leader.

Kagemusha marked a welcome return for the legendary director, who had not made a movie since 1974. Nakadai, a supporting player in earlier Kurosawa films, expertly portrays the leading role(s), almost always filled in the past by Toshirô Mifune. Kagemusha also features the final screen appearance of longtime Kurosawa actor, Takashi Shimura. In order to help the film get an international release, Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas served as executive producers.