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Kagemusha

Play trailer Poster for Kagemusha PG Released Oct 6, 1980 2h 59m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 27 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Akira Kurosawa's lauded feudal epic presents the tale of a petty thief (Tatsuya Nakadai) who is recruited to impersonate Shingen (also Nakadai), an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. When Shingen dies, his generals reluctantly agree to have the impostor take over as the powerful ruler. He soon begins to appreciate life as Shingen, but his commitment to the role is tested when he must lead his troops into battle against the forces of a rival warlord.
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Kagemusha

Kagemusha

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Critics Consensus

Epic in scope and awash with striking color, Kagemusha marks Akira Kurosawa's successful return to the samurai epic.

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Critics Reviews

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Kevin Maher Times (UK) Monumental. Rated: 4/5 Mar 13, 2021 Full Review Gary Arnold Washington Post "Kagemusha" is such a gratifying come-back picture for a justifiably revered filmmaker that one feels churlish harboring certain reservations. May 7, 2017 Full Review Hank Sartin Time Out Rated: 5/5 Nov 18, 2011 Full Review Panos Kotzathanasis Asian Movie Pulse From the symbolic opening to the haunting final battle, “Kagemusha” remains a triumph, a brushstroke on the canvas of cinema's finest. Rated: 8.5 Mar 3, 2024 Full Review Rob Aldam Backseat Mafia An epic tale of smoke and mirrors set in a period rife with political intrigue. Mar 2, 2021 Full Review Jesús Fernández Santos El Pais (Spain) Beyond the exquisite visual effects and battles, what is most interesting about the story is its protagonist: a double who turns into the shadow of the warrior Kagemusha. [Full Review in Spanish] Aug 15, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Rosana B A palavra Kagemusha significa dublê ou sombra de um guerreiro, aqui temos uma obra japonesa prestigiada e premiada, mas ficcionalizada da morte de Takeda Shingen, em meio a fatos históricos, o que não me agradou muito, curto biografias, mas quase tudo aqui é criacionista. Assisti ao filme alternando e picado, o que o tornou mais longo ainda, e interminável, a criancinha, a netinha do farsante sem dúvida rouba as cenas, apenas ela me cativa… Uma excelente produção entediante e aborrecida. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 08/24/24 Full Review Alan g A great martial movie, grand in scope and acting but how did they get the dates and armor wrong. The movie takes place in 1574 but Shingen died in 1573. Also his armor is incorrect. Other than that is it a good movie. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/07/24 Full Review Marcos S Kagemusha stands as a crowning achievement in artistry by the hands of Akira Kurosawa—a sprawling, epic poem elevated by the enchanting and meticulously crafted score of Shin'ichirō Ikebe. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/03/24 Full Review Leaburn O One of my absolute favourite Kurosawa films. This samurai film actually has an interesting plot and the battle scenes are epic in scale. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/21/23 Full Review carl h I Love this movie. It is a Classic. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/05/23 Full Review Audience Member During the Sengoku period, Takeda Shingen, daimyō of the Takeda clan, meets a thief his brother Nobukado spared from crucifixion due to the thief's uncanny resemblance to Shingen; the brothers agree that he would prove useful as a double, and they decide to use the thief as a kagemusha, a political decoy. Later, while the Takeda army lays siege to a castle belonging to Tokugawa Ieyasu, Shingen is shot while observing the battlefield. He then orders his forces to withdraw and commands his generals to keep his death a secret for three years before succumbing to his wound. Meanwhile, Shingen's rivals Oda Nobunaga, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Uesugi Kenshin each contemplate the consequences of Shingen's withdrawal, unaware of his death. Nobukado presents the thief to Shingen's generals, proposing to have him impersonate Shingen full-time. Although the thief is unaware of Shingen's death initially, he eventually finds Shingen's preserved corpse in a large jar, having believed it to contain treasure. The generals then decide they cannot trust the thief and release him. Later, the jar is dropped into Lake Suwa, which spies working for the Tokugawa and Oda forces witness. Suspecting that Shingen has died, the spies go to report their observation, but the thief, having overheard the spies, returns to the Takeda forces and offers to work as a kagemusha... Kagemusha won numerous honours in Japan and abroad, marking the beginning of Kurosawa's most successful decade in international awards, the 1980s. In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter ranked the film 10th among 69 counted winners of the Palme d'Or to date, concluding "Set against the wars of 16th-century Japan, Kurosawa's majestic samurai epic is still awe-inspiring, not only in its historical pageantry, but for imagery that communicates complex ideas about reality, belief and meaning." To me this Akira Kurosawa film is not amongst his best work despite the fact it won the Palme D´Or in 1980. It´s a stretched out magnificent looking empty bore that never seems to end with a not that intriguing plotline and with wobbly editing. It´s simply a pretentious and static film in my opinion that never leaves the ground. And adding a feeling that Akira Kurosawa had "lost" a bit of his magic by then, but yet he was "Akira Kurosawa" and could get away with anything in 1980. Kurosawa´s best work was done in the 50s-60s. And in black and white which was a defining visual feature for Kurosawa. Trivia: The film won the Palme d'Or at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival (tied with All That Jazz). It was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and received other honours. In 2009 the film was voted at No. 59 on the list of The Greatest Japanese Films of All Time by Japanese film magazine Kinema Junpo. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis Akira Kurosawa's lauded feudal epic presents the tale of a petty thief (Tatsuya Nakadai) who is recruited to impersonate Shingen (also Nakadai), an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. When Shingen dies, his generals reluctantly agree to have the impostor take over as the powerful ruler. He soon begins to appreciate life as Shingen, but his commitment to the role is tested when he must lead his troops into battle against the forces of a rival warlord.
Director
Akira Kurosawa
Producer
Akira Kurosawa
Screenwriter
Masato Ide, Akira Kurosawa
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
20th Century Fox
Rating
PG
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 6, 1980, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 17, 2016
Runtime
2h 59m
Sound Mix
Dolby
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Flat (1.85:1)
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