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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 |
 "Takeda Shingen (Born 1521 - Died 1573)"This movie is based on three people 1. Takeda Shingen (Born 1521 - Died 1573),2.Oda Nobunaga (Born 1531 - Died 1582),and 3.Tokugawa Ieyasu (Born 1542 - Died 1616). The movie is set in 16th century Japan (Sengoku Era),Oda Nobunaga rules 'Kyoto' (Yamashiro Province) the throne of Japan,'Kyoto' orders Takeda Shingen to march to Kyoto to liberate the throne from the tyrant Oda Nobunaga. Oda Nobunaga who with 3,000 men defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto's 40,000 men in the battle of Okehazama in 1560 is seen as invincible and ronin warriors start to flock to his banner. In 1573,Oda Nobunaga's army grows from 3,000 to 50,000 men with Takeda Shingen's army at 30,000 men,Takeda Shingen's army beats off Oda Nobunaga's army effortlessly with ease on the road to Kyoto.Oda Nobunaga becomes panick stricken and tries to call a peace with the throne in Kyoto,while Oda Nobunaga helplessly watches his armies destroyed one after another. Tokugawa Ieyasu (an allie of Oda Nobunaga) entrenches himself at Hamamatsu Castle,and launches a calvery of 12,000 against Takeda Shingen's 30,000 men at 'Mikatagahara'(December 22,1573). Tokugawa Ieyasu loses 3,000 men,Takeda Shingen loses 300 men that day. Tokugawa Ieyasu's army runs back like whipped dogs back to the safety of Hamamatsu,watching helplessly as Takeda Shingen's army passes on by to the road to Kyoto. By a quirk of fate Takeda Shingen is shot by a sniper and dies later of lead poison,the Takeda clan keeps his death a secret for three years,meanwhile,Oda Nobunaga wonders why Takeda Shingen has laggard his attack not knowing Takeda Shingen died three years ago.  "KUROSAWA"Not as mind-blowing as a few other of Kurosawa's films, 'Kagemusha' is still awesome in its vision and scope. Very few directors have or had the creativity of this man. Although all of his movies are about the same subject matter, he finds a way to be different each time. The opening sequence is actually the best part of the movie. Watch carefully, it is all done in one shot!! "Kagemusha""Kagemusha" is Kurosawa's 1980 samurai war epic starring Tatsuya Nakadai is set during the late 1500s in Japan, the time period in which the country was torn apart by war. The film begins with a long shot of 3 men seated in a room. One is Shingen Takeda, warlord of the Takeda clan, the other is his brother, Nobukado, and the third is a strange man who looks almost identical to Shingen. Nobukado tells his brother: "I have imperonated you for a long time, but this is incredible." This is the primary focus of the film. The story revolves around the Takeda clan, and the leader, Shingen. But one day when he dies, he has to be replaced, and the double found at the beginning of the film is used. We learn step by step his painful stages in suppressing himself to become another. In the process, Kurosawa intercuts with the other 2 warlords trying to kill Shingen, Oda (Daisuke Ryu) and Ieyasu (Masayuki Yui; both actors would act in "Ran"). In creating a war epic, an epic that sometimes feels like a history lesson, Kurosawa has also created a study of identity while intertwining religious and philosophical Buddhist overtones. I have seen this film many times and I have had different interpretations every time I saw it. I think that this might be the most solid of them all. For starters, some knowledge of the time period is necessary if one wants a truly compelling and fulfilling experience. Without that, there are lose ends and confusion between characters. This is a good film; in fact, a very good film, but certainly not at the level of his next film, "Ran." It's not really fair to judge this film on the same level as that, but it is almost inevitable as I have seen "Ran" many times. There are strong visual similarities on both. I do not think this is at the very top of the master's list of films. I would put it on the 10 best films bu Kurosawa, but not top 5. It is not edited to maximum impact. There are scenes that go on for too long showing soldiers march up and down hills. At times there are far too many silent moments between characters, and certain characters suffer from depth and development. Katsuyori, Shingen's son, is rather flat and one dimensional. The Kagemusha's changing into the lord is compelling to watch, as Nobukado notices the phases the double goes through as he becomes another. Kurosawa raises the interesting and profound question of identity and delves into the issue. At times, I wish there was more time devoted to the character of the double rather than time spent in the historical area. The battle scenes are powerful, but Kurosawa would later outdo them in "Ran." Many have said that one of the problems in the film is the lead actor. It is true that the great Mifune is sorely missed, but Nakadai does a fine job carrying both roles in the film. They say he is too subdued and quiet in his role. But then again, that is the character. The side performances are good as well, but some did't have much to go with, as the script in ceratin areas was not strong. The visuals are among the highlights of the film. Kurosawa stages a lot of his scenes as paintings (the beautifuly frightening dream the double has comes to mind). Technically the film is well done. Kurosawa has changed his camera techniques from his earlier films and rarely does close-ups and or quick cuts between scenes. His camera is mostly steady and focuses on many long and atmospheric shots, creating a sense of calm and serene beauty even during battles. The music is fine, but at times is too distracting and melodramatic. Once again, Kurosawa would fix this in "Ran" when Takemitsu would do the score. It's pretty unfair how I keep bringing up "Ran" but as I said before, it is inevitable. I would originally give this film 3 stars until the last half hour which contains some of the most powerful footage I have ever scene.***SPOILER ALERT*** From the moment in which everyone finds out that the double is who he is, the film becomes so sad, so powerful. The scene in which the double is forced out in the rain is truly heartbreaking to watch. And the final battle scene is simply breathtaking, horrific, and yet beautiful at the same time. Quick cuts are used as the rifles fire at the Takeda clan, and we can tell, through different perspectives that the Takeda clan is no more. Kurosawa manages to paint a world of hell yet do it artistically without glamorizing war. The images of the dead horses and soldiers dipped in blood echoes Kurosawa's own past when his brother showed him a city in Japan after an earthquake hit. His brother would not let him look away, and Kurosawa manages to convey that personal and intimate feeling to us. And the final image of the dead kagemusha floating past the banner in the lake is just hypnotic. Kurosawa ends the film just at the right moment. "Kagemusha" has fine performances, an involving story, decent music (at times a little too western-sounding), great photography, interesting characters (Though the script does fall short in certain areas), profound meanings (as all Kurosawa films do), and one hell of a finale. The last half hour boosts this from a good to a great film. ""Shadow Warrior" >> intro to Samurai languages & Shinto"First, this is the great film of the historical genre from Japan. Second, it may be the model for recent history in Iraq. ...As a drama of manners, "Kagemusha" serves as a thorough introduction to the presentation layer of the Samurai in Tokogawa Japan. At the ending scenes, this shadow-warrior is able to take to heart the projection of honor and spirit within Shinto. We owe a prayer of thanks to Lucas and Coppola. Without them, neither "Ran" nor "Kagemusha." Two wonderful, great men. Tatsuya Nakadai (acting Lord Shingen and the double) immerses us in a world where male Samurai had a 50% chance of dying in battle. Their language of grunts and body gestures is still the subject of deep study in Japan. The performances here takes us to a key hole, where we can see this world acted out. "Ran" -- in comparison -- is embroiled in the conflicts between Buddhist sensibility, personified with Sue' and the other non-warrior characters, and the code of Bushido and its core Shinto beliefs. The revenge-spirit within the wife is Shinto at its purest. She destroys the whole clan of her family's murderers. Willingly, she gives her most-honorable head to the blade. Here in "Kagemusha" the sacrifice of one's life is given freely by dozens of Samurai. Whole squads of soldiers throw their bodies before arrows aimed at the false Lord. As it happened then. The achievement of this film is that we almost understand what is happening. And what sacrifices will we be willing to make, if SARS tests us next year, in the winter of 2004 ??? How important are courage and loyalty to us ? How will we die ? "Wonderful"Regardless of its length and broad assumption that viewers will have some understanding of sixteenth century Japanese feudal systems, this remains Kurosawa's best film - better, even, than 'Ran'. This is a director whose entire catalogue often pivots on imagery and metaphor, but what sets this film apart is the sheer mastery of its cinematography and incomparable attention to detail; some might say lavish attention. The scenes with warriors passing across an orange sun as light filters through to the foreground, the scenes of warrior horsemen riding along a beach as dark clouds loom thunderously in the distance combine to evoke as few other films have done some real sense of the elegance and savagery that was the hallmark of feudal Japan. In the case of 'Kagemusha' it will probably help if you are something of a film buff, but even those who aren't will probably be impressed with it on some level. |
