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Features: DVD
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-lenghth version.
"...bold, and colorful on the surface, but very thought-ful." Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"Kagemusha is majestic, stately, cool and, in many of its details, almost abstract." Vincent Canby, The New York Times
Editor's Note
In this dazzling epic from Akira Kurosawa, a petty thief named Kagemusha (Tatsuya Nakadai) gets saved from a death sentence because he resembles the warlord Shingen Takeda (also Nakadai). The warlord has been fighting two other leaders for control of 16th-century Japan and impersonators often take his place during battles to put him out of harm's way. Because of Kagemusha's strong physical similarities to the warlord, he's a perfect choice for a "shadow warrior." However, the arrangement suddenly changes when Shingen gets fatally wounded while watching a battle. Adhering to Shingen's final wish, the warlord's men keep the death a secret, and Kagemusha struggles to transform himself from a criminal into a leader.KAGEMUSHA marked a welcome return for the legendary director, who had not made a movie since 1974. Nakadai, a supporting player in earlier Kurosawa films, expertly portrays the leading role(s), almost always filled in the past by Toshir Mifune. KAGEMUSHA also features the final screen appearance of longtime Kurosawa actor, Takashi Shimura. In order to help the film get an international release, Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas served as executive producers.
Plot Summary
In this exciting, visually dazzling epic from Akira Kurosawa, a petty thief named Kagemusha gets saved from a death sentence because he resembles the warlord Shingen Takeda. | The warlord has been fighting two other leaders for control of 16th-century Japan and impersonators often take his place during battles to put him out of harm's way. Because of Kagemusha's strong physical similarities to the warlord, he's a perfect choice for a "shadow warrior."| However, the arrangement suddenly changes when Shingen gets fatally shot while watching a battle. Adhering to Shingen's final wish, the warlord's men keep the death a secret and Kagemusha takes his place. But Shingen's oldest son refuses to go along with the plan and leads his own attack on one of the enemy armies.| Although Kagemusha's true identity is eventually discovered and he's sent away, the now-brave "shadow warrior" joins the warlord's son to make a final heroic attack on the enemy.
| Features | Helping A Master: Coppola, Lucas, And Kagemusha, New Video Interviews | | Image: Kurosawa's Continuity, A New Video Piece That Reconstructs Kagemusha Through Kurosawa's Paintings And Sketches | | 2-Disc Set | | A 40-Minute Documentary On The Making Of Kagemusha | | A Booklet Featuring New Essays By Scholars Darrell Davis And Peter Grilli And Biographical Sketches By Japanese Film Historian Donald Richie | | Audio commentary By Kurosawa Scholar Stephen Prince | | Audio: Japanese Dolby Digital Stereo | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Home Vision/Public Media |
| Release Date: 3/29/2005 |
| Running Time: 180 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1980 | | Catalog ID: 1606 | | UPC: 00715515015622 | | Number of Discs: 2 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: Japanese | | Available Audio Tracks: Japanese | | Available Subtitles: English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Cannes (1980) |  | Winner, Palme d'Or | | Akira Kurosawa, Winner, Palme d'Or |
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| | Professional Reviews | Variety
"...A sweeping epic of the times of clan wars in 16th century Japan....Tatsuya Nakadai is extraordinary..." 05/21/1980New York Times
"...[Kurosawa's] most physically elaborate, most awesome film, full of magnificent views....Majestic..." 10/06/1980 p.C14 USA Today
"...[A] classic..." 01/28/1995 p.8D Entertainment Weekly
"[O]ften breathtaking..." 04/01/2005 p.56 Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "Primarily a chamber piece shot in muted tones, it switches to exaggerated colour for a couple of large-scale battles..." 02/01/2007 p.124 Sight and Sound
"[S]hot in spectacular fashion. The use of colour and landscape is hugely impressive..." 02/01/2007 p.83 |
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