Review of Kagemusha (1980) by Jacob G — 23 Mar 2011

I'm one of those swine who doesn't get Kurosawa's long war epics. Regardless of country it isn't a theme that interests me in general anyway, though with a film like this I am more detached because I don't get all of the cultural things, so I feel even further disconnected.

I much prefer Kurosawa's samurai films. Still, there is that certain Kurosawa touch that makes a movie entertaining, even as I have no idea what is really going on. He has a way of displaying physical reactions in a way that feels more like a silent film than a talkie.

There are subtle facial and body movements that even a dunce like me can pick up on and appreciate. The general idea of the story is neat--after the death of a clan leader, an "impostor" is brought in to keep the death quiet and to prevent attacks.

If Kurosawa had tightened that story up a lot, whittled it down to about 2 hours, and eliminated the extended battle scenes, this would have been a much better experience for me. Still, as uncultured swine I suppose my opinion is quite a bit less valid than the critics or any one else.