Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Kenichi Hagiwara, Takashi Shimura, Daisuke Ryu, Tsutomu Yamazaki

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Summary: Battles, intrigue and high drama in this highly-praised film of old Japan. Japanese dialogue with English subtitles.

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 Toshiro 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.

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Reviewed by: davybozal24-7
Posted on July 23, 2006 9:20 AM

Wonderfully staged battle scenes with plenty of drama and intrigue make this film one of Akira Kurasawa's finest works and a must have DVD for any collector of this genre . Powerful warlord is injured in battle and is too weak to lead his army into further conflict with his rivals. Just at the right time , a lowly actor / impersonator who looks remarkably like the warlord , becomes a stand - in , and must utilise his remarkable acting talents in a part that would ultimately bring him great renown . Utterly astonishing and at some times sad , make this film a great masterpiece !

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The 1970s were difficult years for the great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. Having been unable to secure full Japanese backing for his epic project Kagemusha, the 70-year-old master found American support from George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, who served as co-executive producers (through 20th Century Fox) for this magnificent 1980 production--to that date the most expensive film in Japanese history. Set in the late-16th century, Kagemushacentres on the Takeda clan, one of three warlord clans battling for control of Japan at the end of the feudal period. When their leader Lord Shingen (Tatsuya Nakadai) is mortally wounded in battle, he orders that his death be kept secret and that his "kagemusha"--or "shadow warrior"--take his place for a period of three years to prevent clan disruption and enemy takeover. The identical double is a petty thief (also played by Nakadai) spared from execution due to his uncanny resemblance to Lord Shingen--but his true identity cannot prevent the tides of fate from rising over the Takeda clan in a climactic scene of battlefield devastation. Through stunning visuals and meticulous attention to every physical and stylistic detail, Kurosawa made a film that restored his status as Japan's greatest filmmaker, and the success of Kagemushaenabled the director to make his 1985 masterpiece, Ran. --Jeff Shannon

Aspect Ratio:	1.85 Wide Screen, 16:9 Wide Screen
Main Language:	Japanese
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Interactive Menus, Scene Access
Subtitles:	Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Year:	1980
Release Date:	June 3, 2002
Runtime:	153 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	01109 D V D
Keywords:	Action, Shadow, General, Wide, Screen, Warrior, Kagemusha, Japanese, Adventure, Aka
Genre:	Action/Adventure