As the Phoenix raised from the ashes, Kurosawa emerged from spiritual death when the Soviet Union invited him to make a film, Derzu Uzula (1975), which went on to win the Oscars for the Best Foreign film in 1976.  After the Oscars in 1976 to the shooting of Kagemusha in 1979, Kurosawa returned to his roots as a painter where he amassed a large number of paintings while being immersed into Shakespeare and Japanese history.  Kurosawa's paintings became advance storyboards for scenes in the film, which is loosely adapted from Shakespeare's King Lear and historical events from 16th century Japan.  This occurs as his story of multiple identities and personalities slowly brewed into perfection at his final stage as a film director.

Kagemusha opens with the line, "Hmmm, he looks like me.", as the camera reveals three characters all having the same appearance.  In this lengthy introduction, the stationary camera reveals through minimal movements of the characters and the ongoing conversation that two of them are brothers and high ranking officials while the third is an unrelated thief.  The only thing giving away that the thief is a fake is his body language and his facial expression, but when he opens his mouth it is evident who are the leader and the thief.  Nonetheless, the similarities between them are striking in both their appearance and their lifestyle, but what makes the difference between them is that one of them holds the power of the province in which both live and he intends to use the thief as a body double.

Shingen Takeda (Tatsuya Nakadai) and his brother Nobukado Takeda (Tsutomu Yamazaki), who took the thief as a double, are amidst a war trying to conquer the whole Japan in order to bring peace and no more bloodshed to the nation.  Shingen are currently besieging a castle, as they intend to strengthen their position to achieve complete peace.  During one late evening when the Shingen listens to one of the men playing a flute, a sniper injures him severely.  This causes the opponents of Shingen to wonder whether he is injured or dead, as he eventually dies.  However, before he died he made sure that they would keep it a secret for three years before revealing his death.  Throughout this time the thief, Kagemusha, becomes the stand-in ruler for the clan while they try to maintain their geographical position for three years.

Some reviews have complained about the slow pace and the length of Kagemusha.  However, the length is necessary in order for the audience to completely immerse into the cinematic artistry that Kurosawa tries brings to the viewer through his ceaseless determination to create an experience.  Sure, one could kill time, as Jean-Luc Godard puts it in Band of Outsiders (1964) where the characters try to run through the Louvre in less than 10 minutes. However, the purpose of visit to the Louvre is not to merely for being able to say that one has been there.  Instead, it is highly recommended that one tries to take the time to understand what the artist attempts to say in each artistic work by pausing and reflecting over what they see.  Kagemusha offers a wealth of artistic images drawn from paintings that go beyond colors and lines, which compels further introspective contemplating work on self and society.  Thus, if the audience, expects to merely experience a sword fighting samurai film, Kagemusha will truly be a disappointment.

An intertesting hypothesis could provide the notion that Kurosawa displays several of his own characteristics through his paintings, which later appeared in scenes throughout Kagemusha.  For example, there is the oppressive leader who demands perfection at all costs to the unwelcome thief.  Another interesting notion could be drawn from Shakespeare's King Lear where the king steps down from his position as king to later realize that it was a bad decision, as he is betrayed by his own daughters.  Then there is Gloucester who tries to help Lear, but is accused of treason and left to wander the countryside blind who also attempts suicide, but is saved.  The story of King Lear eventually ends up in tragedy, as does Kagemusha.  Maybe Kurosawa used King Lear, as analogy to his own life, not knowing the end.  This occurs as Kurosawa ultimately brings together all aspects of himself - past, present, and future.  Yet, as mentioned, he did not know his future, he went on to make and direct four more films including the masterpieces Ran (1985) and Dreams (1990).

DIRECTED BY

COUNTRY

Japan

Filmography links and data courtesy of