Kagemusha (1980)
Genre: Drama / War
Duration: 180 minuten / 162 minuten (internationale versie)
Alternative titles: Kagemusha the Shadow Warrior / 影武者
Country:
Japan / United States
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Ken'ichi Hagiwara and Tsutomu Yamazaki
IMDb score:
7,9 (40.744)
Releasedate: 26 April 1980
Kagemusha plot
Japan, late 16th century. The country is going through a period of fierce wars between the different feudalities. The mighty Shingen Takeda is regarded as an invincible landlord. But then the unthinkable happens: Shingen is killed by a bullet. In order to preserve the clan's power, he asks his clan members to conceal his death for at least three years and replace him with a doppelgänger, a kagemusha.
Actors and actresses
Shingen Takeda / Kagemusha
Nobukado Takeda
Katsuyori Takeda
Sohachiro Tsuchiya
Masakage Yamagata
Nobunaga Oda
Ieyasu Tokugawa
Otsuyanokata
Oyunokata
Nobufusa Baba
Reviews & comments
tbouwh
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- 5823 messages
- 5404 votes
I had a lot of hope for my second Kurosawa, but this Kagemusha didn't quite grab me either. The music is beautiful and some of the shots are a feast for the eyes (beach with rainbow, warriors in red 'mist' that briefly reminded me of Goodfellas, and then that entire dream sequence), but the characters and plot lack depth. The countless extras and banners may be an impressive sight, but Kagemusha becomes truly compelling in its slowness (many long takes), visual epic and historical setting (more context in the film itself would have been nice) unfortunately never.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Filmkriebel
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- 10013 messages
- 4679 votes
Seen version of 152 min. This historical drama is long in substance but worth seeing. Inspired by real historical facts surrounding the clan wars that were the first step towards Japanese unification. Also very well documented. For example, the arquebus introduced by the Europeans was indeed used in battle. The kind of detail I can appreciate.
The only element that Kurosawa fully invents is the kagemusha, the doppelgänger of a powerful warlord, essentially a petty thief forced to take on the role of the late leader Shingen Takeda. All of this takes place within a strictly regulated framework in which the doppelganger must follow a certain etiquette and not go beyond his role in the game. The whole irony is in one scene where he instructs not to "move" like a mountain, proving that it was this strategy that sowed doubt and unrest among his enemies. Kagemusha also features some epic battle scenes, but I found the military demonstrations more impressive than the action itself. The doppelganger's character isn't really fleshed out, unfortunately, and comes across as more of an extra than a lead actor, despite showing apparent talent at what he's supposed to do. Despite the length of his films, Kurosawa can easily captivate and this one also manages to do it.
Translated from Dutch · View original
mjk87 (moderator films)
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- 14602 messages
- 4555 votes
At times a bloody good movie, but I don't think it's a good movie. As a whole this is told rather messily and this is more a summary of that period than a real story. Think of the last quarter of an hour when the main plot has already been told and another piece of history comes along. There is also not really a main character which makes the film as a whole a bit distant. In fact, all the characters are puppets (the Kagemusha is this in his role anyway) in Kurosawa's play.
Nevertheless, the film is long but not really boring. And that is special since the film is nowhere compelling because of the reasons for this. A single scene is sometimes stretched too long, but in fact the film goes by remarkably smoothly. The tempo is actually often perfect and especially the image filling is fantastic. Every shot seems well thought out and it all looks great. How the camera sometimes moves, but especially the framing, the play with light and shadow, the use of color that is exuberant but not kitschy. This is 2.5 hours (I saw that version) a feast for the eyes.
Two moments stand out. When the Kagemusha first sits across from his guards and imitates the old monarch and you see the look at the guards and music is playing very subtly. moving. And the last scene looks gorgeous. 3.5*.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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