Kagemusha (1980)

Undeniably the greatest of all Japanese directors, Akira Kurosawa is best known for his 'Samurai' films. These are set in feudal Japan, and are determinedly anti-war with their depiction of endless, futile battles between rival clans.

Empires are fleeting, stubborn pride proves costly, and human life is cheap. Wisdom is provided by elders, but is often foolishly rejected by vain, glory-seeking military leaders. Women are secondary in this world of testosterone, but they may have their own private schemes for securing power and revenge.

Kagemusha is another entry in Kurosawa's decades-long string of Samurai movies. Although not without its problems in pacing and stiffness, it is better than some of his more famous films, such as Yojimbo. It is also not up to the level of his best work (Throne of Blood, Ran, The Seven Samurai).

The story is familiar, and yet unique. The warlord Shingen is mortally wounded while besieging a fortress. His dying wish is that his dynasty continue. This is accomplished by using an impersonator, Kagemusha (Tatsuya Nakadai), who is a thief with humble ancestry. Kagemusha serves as Shingen's stand-in for three years, improving morale and even helping to win battles.

The most impressive aspect of Kagemusha is its cinematography, costumes and sets. Many scenes have waves of soldiers clad in armor and carrying banners, set against the Sun and the Japanese countryside. Kurosawa gets even more from the battlefield images by judicious use of composer Shinichiro Ikebe's score. Outstanding cinematography and convincing sets and costumes are a familiar hallmark for Kurosawa throughout his career.

Many scenes, however, are lengthy and static. People sit in a room and talk, and move so infrequently that it is sometimes difficult to tell which character is talking. It is true, however, that this criticism has to be diluted by putting it in a context of cultural differences and expectations. Western audiences want action from their war films, and may have less appreciation for character depth and development.

Nonetheless, the film improves markedly whenever Shingen's young grandson Takemaru (Kota Yui) is on camera. Takemaru's energy, enthusiasm, and honesty of expression provides a stark contrast to the cynical and circumspect adult men that fill most of the film's roles. Kagemusha is forced to subjugate his honest and emotive natural personality in order to impersonate Shingen. He can only be himself around Takemaru, who is eager to see him as something other than a stern monolith.

Kagemusha was an expensive film by Japanese standards, and Kurosawa had alienated himself from Japanese studios with his cutting comments about their commercialism. For funding, he turned to George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, two of the most successful American filmmakers of the 1970s. Both are credited as executive producers for the 'international' version, which apparently consists of easily read yellow English subtitles and an excision of twenty minutes of footage.

Kagemusha was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Art Direction. The film won various prestigious awards around the globe, including the Golden Palm (Cannes Film Festival), Best Direction (British Academy Awards) and Best Foreign Film (French Academy of Cinema, New York Films Critics Circle). (74/100)