Review of Kagemusha (1980) by Patrick C — 10 Jun 2008

It's a well-known fact that Akira Kurosawa, one of the finest directors ever to walk this planet, was far more popular to western audiences than he ever was in his native Japan. Towards the end of his career, he was viewed so unfavorably in his home country that he found it extremely difficult to acquire funding for his films.

So thank god for George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, without whose pocket change Kurosawa's late-period masterpiece "Kagemusha" would probably have never been made. This, one of his few in color, is a jaw-dropping visual triumph as well as a powerful meditation on humanity.

The film at a whopping 179 minutes is long, but you'll never notice it. The story is so involving, the acting so good, and the direction so damn beautiful that, if anything, the whole affair feels far too short.

Yet another astounding addition to the Kurosawa canon, as well as a personal favorite; the film is simply stunning.