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Kagemusha - Criterion Collection
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Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9781559409544
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 1559409541
Label: Criterion
Languages: English (Subtitled), Japanese (Original Language),
Manufacturer: Criterion
MPN: DCC1606D
Number Of Items: 2
Publisher: Criterion
Region Code: 1
Release Date: March 29, 2005
Running Time: 180 minutes
Studio: Criterion
Theatrical Release Date: October 06, 1980
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Editorial Review:
The 1970s were difficult years for the great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. Following the box-office failure of his 1970 film Dodes'ka-den and an unsuccessful suicide attempt, Kurosawa was unable to find financial backing in Japan, and he made his acclaimed 1975 film Dersu Uzala in Siberia with Russian financing. With only partial Japanese backing for his epic project Kagemusha, the 70-year-old master then found American support from George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, who served as coexecutive producers (through 20th Century Fox) for this magnificent 1980 production--to that date the most expensive film in Japanese history. Set in the late 16th century, Kagemusha centers on the Takeda clan, one of three warlord clans battling for control of Japan at the end of the feudal period. When Lord Shingen (Tatsuya Nakadai), head of the Takeda clan, is mortally wounded in battle and near death, he orders that his death be kept secret and that his "kagemusha"--or "shadow warrior"--take his place for a period of three years to prevent clan disruption and enemy takeover. The identical double is a petty thief (also played by Nakadai) spared from execution due to his uncanny resemblance to Lord Shingen--but his true identity cannot prevent the tides of fate from rising over the Takeda clan in a climactic scene of battlefield devastation. Through stunning visuals and meticulous attention to every physical and stylistic detail, Kurosawa made a film that restored his status as Japan's greatest filmmaker, and the success of Kagemusha enabled the director to make his 1985 masterpiece, Ran. --Jeff Shannon
In his late color masterpiece Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior) director Akira Kurosawa returned to the samurai film and to a primary theme of his celebrated career—the play between illusion and reality. Sumptuously reconstructing the splendor of feudal Japan and pageantry of war, Kurosawa creates a soaring historical epic that is also a somber meditation on the nature of power. The Criterion Collection is proud to present Kagemusha for the first time in its full-length version.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Some people Have Greatness Thrust Upon Them
Kagamusha is such a physically beautifully film, it's that much more of a shame that the narrative isn't more powerful. In only his third color feature, Kurosawa goes all the way in presenting scene after scene in beautiful vibrant colors that leap off the screen. The colored lighting is a bit artificial but is so effectively used, I couldn't help but nod and smile when I noticed it. While Kagamusha is not a masterpiece, it is always entertaining and occassionally profound and enthralling. A ... Read More
Rating: - wonderfull
really, really good. great preformences with great effect. the dream sequence is really fantastic. theres alot of great acting and a perfect story. mabye its not as epic as 'Ran' in cast and size, but its so much more complex in the story and its visual aspects are very dark and brooding. definetely worth the buy!
Rating: - ...but picky videophiles may be slightly disappointed
Kagemusha is a great movie, and for my money it is more entertaining than Ran. Kurosawa was trying to be too artsy in the latter film, which always puts me off just a little. Kagemusha tells the story in a more straightforward fashion, the acting is less exaggerated, and I think it's just more fun. However, what prompted me to review it was the visual quality, which I found a bit below what I'd expect from Criterion.
I saw the original shortened version in the theater when it was first ... Read More
Rating:  - Art injected with life
This is probably Akira's most visually stunning and beautifully artistic film. The colors throughout create a glorious piece to behold. Seriously, it looks like an wondrous art gallery transfered to the screen.
Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior) hinges on perceptions and reality. It's a fable about a powerful warlord being impersonated by a petty thief. This illusion is conjoured up to disguise certain truths that would shift the momentum of power.
This movie really concentrates on this facade ... Read More
Rating:  - A classic of early color cinematography
I'm no film buff: indeed, I seem to be going through a bout of revisiting icons of my college years. Kurasawa's "Seven Samurai" left lasting memories and I wanted to see more of this great director's work. The booklet giving background to Kagemusha was very helpful to me and I found the plot twist to be one that provoked further reflection in the days after I had watched the film. It is one that I will keep and will watch again from time to time. I agree with an earlier reviewer that the film has a number ... Read More
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