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Kagemusha - Criterion Collection Actors: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki Director: Akira Kurosawa Number of Items: 2 Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Running Time: 180 minutes Studio: Criterion Collection Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2005-03-29 Buy from Amazon |
 "wonderful"the spectacle of war and clan politics are the centerpiece of this feudal tale. really sympathized with the double all the way, i suppose this was kurosawa's intent. the historicity and ancient setting detaches, but shingen's shadow warrior re-connects us to the message; the shadow warrior is a petty thief, cynical of authority, we see a part (if not all) of us in him. the last scene and final shot are breathtaking.  "What a Spectacle"As I watch more & more Akira Kurosawa's movies, it comes to my realisation that in actuality, his works are rather Noh-influence. His scenes are perfectly framed & yet, the frames are expansive enough for his performers to do what they meant to do. I used to think that the performances are somewhat pushed but as as we have a tendency to be mellowed by age, as I watch the movie second time around, I am pleasantly surprised that the outcomes aren't what I think they used to be. The performers do what they meant to do in their own natural rhythms & together with a glorious settings (where everything seem to be right where they are), with dosages of old Japanese values, whallah, you have a concoction of Kurosawa movies that we are endeared to. Kagemusha is based upon the true story during the Warring Period between three factions. Fighting scenes are at best patchy but it's still an awe-inspiring site as most of what we have these days are all CGI effects. Kurosawa's movies tend to touch upon death, our mortality, the fragile beauty of life. As war rages on, the scene of soldiers coming to a standstill listening to the haunting sound of a solo flute performance is at once poignant and beautiful at the same time. There are moments like that in Kagemusha. It's also a life in parody as the shadow warrior, a non-blood would have done so much better than the original warlord's own son, whose impatience would eventually lead his Takeda Clan to imminent doom. A movie not to be missed especially for a Kurosawa's fan. Mind you, this movie would eventually be superseded by Ran, which I feel is his work in maturity particularly for this form of epic war genre. Highly recommended. "Kagemusha: Or How I Fell In Love With Sengoku Japan"The backdrop of the story is Sengoku Japan where the daimyos of great clans vie with one other for supremacy. The ultimate goal is to become shogun to replace the now powerless Ashikaga of Kyoto. At the center of the tale is Shingen, lord of the Takeda clan, a warlord of surpassing skill, who strikes fear in the hearts of his enemies and inspires bravery and undying loyalty in his own men. Shingen is at the apex of his power, his armies threaten to crush Tokugawa Ieyasu the chief ally of his implacable foe, Oda Nubunaga. However, in an irony of fate, Shingen is mortally wounded. Shingen, along with his chief retainers are well aware that his death not only signals an end to his aspirations to crush the Tokugawa and Oda clans and to declare a Takeda shogunate, but also that it might, in fact, lead to the destruction of the Takeda clan under the leadership of his intemperate son, Katsuyori. So, a plan is devised to use a kagemusha (shadow warrior) to keep the enemies of the Takeda in check for three years (the significance of the period in question is never explained). The film is a visual masterpiece, Kurosawa has an equally good eye for epic as well as ordinary moments. Human bonds (and, perhaps, bondage) are at the heart of the story. A petty thief is torn and hollowed by having to assume the outward persona of a larger than life figure. In time his misery is comforted by the love of a child and, for a moment, he forgets... The destruction of the Takeda army at Nagashino is the predictable result of the revelation of Shingen's death. The kagemusha now half man, half ghost, watches in horror as warriors and horses are cut down; he watches their death throes and his remaining hold on a sense of self is finally lost in that danse macabre. Kurosawa's choice of putting real historical figures in a stylized and mythical tale is somewhat problematical. It creates a number of creative constraints, while, nevertheless, taking liberties with the historical record. Regardless, it is a great movie, one that, in a number of ways, anticipates Kurosawa's final triumph, the sublime Ran. "Epic masterpiece!"This unbeatable Cannes winner film is a notable artistic triumph a real feast for the eyes , the mind and soul . When the King has died in a very undesirable moment -wartimes- the Counsel decides not inform about this tragic event and decides to design a substitute for him to avoid the discouragement in the soldiers . The emotional tribulations and the huge pressure exerted in this double carries to a superb and poetic story teller under the powerful gaze of the superb japanese filmmaker, the dazzling genius : Akira Kurosawa . The arresting images in the final battle are simply outstanding . A timeless monumental masterpiece and one of the giants films in any age . "FINALLY AAARRRGHHHHHH!!!!"Absolute must see. Kurosawa fan or not. Every aspect of this film is flawless. According to Criterion it has a release date some time in January!!! Wooohooooo!!! |
