Kagemusha
Directed by Akita Kurosawa
Written by Masato Ire and Akita Kurasawa
1980/US
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/Amazon Prime rental
Shingen Takeda: I am wicked, as you believe. I am a scoundrel. I banished my father and I killed my own son. I will do anything to rule this country. War is everywhere. Unless somebody unifies the nation and reigns over us, we will see more rivers of blood and more mountains of the dead.
This epic look at identity is notable for Kurosawa’s gorgeous use of landscape, settings, and costumes. Tatsuya Nakadai gives a magnificent performance in the dual role of a warlord and his hapless double.
It is 1574. Warlords are fighting among themselves for ultimate control of a united Japan. A trio of the strongest clans are at war. The life of each warlord is constantly in danger.
The brother of the warlord Shingen Takeda (Tatsuya Nakadai) has been acting as his double, taking the risk in public.
But now the clan elders have found an even more uncanny double in the form of a peasant thief who was about to be crucified (also Tatsuya Nakadai). He is extremely reluctant to take on the role but you didn’t argue with warlords in 16th century Japan and live. Finally the real warlord is wounded in battle and asks his clan not to reveal his death and to defend the castle for another 3 years.
The thief proves to be very convincing in his part. Will he be able to relinquish it when the three years are over?
Although there was a message I think I missed, I really enjoyed this movie. The acting was superb, the costumes were sumptuous, and Kurasawa’s staging of the various armies was magnificent. Recommended.
Kagemusha was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Foreign Language Picture and Best Art Direction – Set Decoration.
