Review of Kagemusha (1980) by Christopher P — 02 Dec 2008

In feudal Japan, the lord of a clan has died, but in order to keep this secret from the enemy and the clan itself, a lookalike is hired to take his place. At first, this 'shadow warrior' finds it impossible to fool everyone--especially the late chief's grandson--but over the course of three years he begins to embody the life of the chief and abandon his own.

Described by Kurosawa as merely a 'rehearsal' for Ran, Kagemusha is a grand and beautiful film about identity and loyalty. It is not as powerful of a film as Ran, nor as good as some of his other classics, but Kagemusha is still a solid reminder of a legendary director's mastery over cinema.