Kagemusha (1980)

Directed by Akira Kurosawa. Starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Kenichi Hagiwara, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Hideji Ōtaki, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu, Masayuki Yui, Takashi Shimura.

A thief (Nakadai) who bears a striking resemblance to a warlord (also Nakadai) is hired to serve as the leader’s double, but then takes the mantle himself after the warlord dies, creating an illusion that must not be broken at the risk of personal ruin and the deterioration of the clan. Kurosawa’s return to feudal period dramas is a magnificent technical achievement, an epic war film and thoughtful drama brought to life with bold colors and incredible costumes and sets. The size of it all threatens to dwarf (or crush) the finer, more philosophical details, and the storytelling sometimes struggles to connect all the pieces—it is not quite on the same level of Shakespearean drama found in his Throne of Blood and Ran. However, it’s still an unshakable physical experience; unforgettable images abound, from a messenger charging through the resting ranks of several military divisions to the final image of Nakadai struggling against breaking waves and the tide, banner in sight. Film title roughly translates as “shadow warrior”; final film of Shimura, a long-time Kurosawa collaborator.

84/100