KAGEMUSHA (Japanese) (1980)

The shadow of a man can never stand up and walk on its own. Can a shadow exist without the person? Kagemusha in Japanese means a shadow warrior. The film is based on sixteenth century war plot between two royal domains. A professional thief who looks like a replica of the dead king was chosen to perform the double to deceive the enemies and to protect Takeda clan. It’s not easy task to get into the skin of the king for three years especially when he has to remain unsuspected not only from enemy spies but also from his own family and fellow men.

‘Kagemusha’ was Kurosawa’s ambitious and lavish epical project which he wanted to make from long which he fulfilled with his Hollywood admirers and co-producers George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola. Its three hours long in length and bears spectacular production design and stunning color cinematography. The dream sequence and brilliant background use of light, shades and florescent colors is aesthetically awesome. But I find the film very stretching one, shoddy in editing too average and less impressive amid all the AK films that I managed to watch till day. In form and presentation it looks like Kurosawa but not in the content and soul.

Ratings-6.5/10