A Shadow

Rating: 9/10 (6 December 2006)

I am slowly wading through the huge backlog of Kurosawa Akira films that I have accumulated over the last few years. Last week I watched Rashomon for the second time and now I have finally watched the three hour long epic Kagemusha. I am glad I had to watch it for a class because three hours is quite a chunk of time. However, Kagemusha is quite a beautiful and entertaining film threaded with humor and sadness so its three hour time does not seem quite as long as it is.
Opening with one long static shot, the viewer is presented with three men who practically look identical sporting the same kimono, hair style, and beard. We soon learn that the center figure is the warlord Takeda Shingen, the man on the left is his brother Nobukado, and the man on the right is a thief who was saved by Nobukado from being crucified because of his uncanny resemblance to Shingen. Nobukado desires to make the thief into a kagemusha, 影武者, shadow warrior, like himself so he can act as a double for Shingen. Shingen is against the idea at first, but is soon impressed by a loud outburst from the thief so he allows the man to be trained as his double.
On the verge of achieving his dream of overtaking Kyoto and keeping his enemies Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu at bay, Shingen leaves the safety of his abode to listen to the flute played by an enemy with the confines of a blockaded castle. However, Shingen is shot and subsequently dies. Yet before he passes away he tells his men to keep his death for a secret for three years. With no other option available the ranking generals of Shingen's army keep their lord's death a secret and force the thief to play the role of Shingen. However, this is easier said that done Considered by critics and fans alike to be one of Kurosawa's most powerful, if more formulaic films, Kagemusha delves into the recesses of history and asks the questions what happened to Shingen? Why did he fail when he was so close to victory? However, this is only a small part of the films appeal. It, like many other Kurosawa films, shows how modernity, in this film rifles, impend on a culture. A great film that can be enjoyed at a number of levels, Kagemusha is a film to be watched not only by those who enjoy Kurosawa or samurai films, but by those who enjoy long epic films as well.