Review of Kurosawa's Kagemusha

A second selection from a Japanese director who is associated with the Japanese Art Cinema movement of the late 50s and early 60s. It is Kagemusha by Akira Kurosawa. Kurosawa is, perhaps the best, and most well known of Japanese directors. His early films like Seven Samurai depict Japan in it’s medieval period. Kagemusha is a story that could be re-told in a Japanese history book.

            The film begins with a lot of dialogue and little movement. The Lord of one clan is wounded and they must use an impersonator while the clan finds another leader. The look alike is a common thieve who was to be crucified until he was saved to serve as the Lord’s double. Eventually the Lord’s double accepts his role as impersonator. He plays his plays his part until, after a battle, thinking he is as brave and strong as the real Lord, he attempts to mount the Lord’s horse. The horse recognizes that it is an impostor and throws the impersonator from his mount. This reveals the impersonator and confirms that the real Lord is dead.

            In the end  of the film the Lord’s son, who was passed over as heir, leads the Takeda clan into a foolish battle. The Takeda clan is annihilated. In the final sequence we see the impersonator make a rush to the enemy lines. He is shot and dies in the lake.

            I found the film somewhat slow, confusing, and long. The end scene was long. Perhaps, upon reflection, this was to drive home the devastation and horror of war. In the scene Kurosawa pans over the dead soldiers and horses again and again. It really emphasizes how badly the Takeda clan has lost. It does have the affect of depicting the thousands of lost lives by focusing on the carnage for an extended period. The beginning of the film starts out with a lot of dialogue and little action. It is only at the end of the film that major action takes place. Lastly, it was hard to follow the battle scenes, who was fighting who, who were allies, etc. Perhaps that was not the point of the film. Perhaps the point of the film was to demonstrate how crucial leadership can be in battle. By depicting the death of a great Lord we see how his clan goes into steep decline thereafter.

            I thought the cinematography was good. There are many great long shots showing soldiers moving, the sun reflecting, and so on. The dream sequence with the dead Lord is surreal. The battle scenes are also very good. Close shots of charging soldiers give the effect that the army is huge and the conflict massive.

            Kagemusha is definitely a precursor to Kurosawa’s Ran. I think Ran is the better film. But, Kurosawa may not have been able to make Ran without first having to make Kagemusha. The fight scenes are better, the action is more engrossing, and the story line plays out better in Ran. Yet, both of the films depict the chaos of medieval Japan and Kurosawa must be commended for his efforts at making grand epic films like Kagemusha and Ran.

            The acting is well done. The lighting is a bit dark. In some early battle scenes the soldiers are hard to make out. Yet, this was a turning point for Kurosawa. His previous films had not succeeded. This was a comeback and it goes over well.