Review of Kagemusha (1980) by Dave J — 12 Feb 2012
Kagemusha is a simple, slow-moving, but altogether fascinating look at honor and loyalty.
When a powerful warlord is killed in battle, a thief with an uncanny resemblance is reluctantly made to impersonate the recently deceased in order to keep up appearances.
Aside from being an interesting piece of history, Kurosawa is also playing with the idea of honor.
Kurosawa gives the viewer large scale battle sequences in which many thousands of men are willing to die for their allegiance to their honored leader. Yet, how honorable and infinite is the master's wisdom if it can be mimicked by a common thief?
And for this man unwillingly thrust into such a position of power, Kurosawa makes a point to show the horror on his face as he sees hoards of young men being brutalized under his command.
After the imposter is outed, Kurosawa shifts from the leader's perspective to the soldiers themselves. Showing how without an idea to cling to, they really are just dying for nothing. The camera just rests on the battlefield, watching as the bloodied and battered soldiers fight to live. It is a difficult scene to watch, but through it Kurosawa makes some powerful statements.
It is a samurai epic that dares to question the meaning of it all, and for that alone is deserving of your attention.
This review of Kagemusha (1980) was written by Dave J on 12 Feb 2012.
Kagemusha has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
