Review of Kagemusha (1980) by Stuart M — 26 Aug 2016

A good plot centered around both well-structured action sequences and an interesting emotional core. The basic premise is that a powerful warlord is dying at exactly the point his people need him. His death means the end of his clan. So in order to keep his enemies at bay through fear the warlord finds a double, a common criminal, who will take his place after death and continue until his heir is secure. It's a great setup, giving us a truly interesting arc of character growth while also allowing him to be at the center of the high political events that normally take a lifetime to learn. And it's quite a ride.

Even at the end of his career Kurosawa knew how to find a way to challenge his characters' souls in unique and memorable ways. What he lost was any sense of optimism or hope for the future. His films were always set in an unfeeling world, yet the leads struggled to overcome this and, succeed or fail, their struggle was worthwhile. And that's why these later films are so hard to watch. You know it's going to end badly pretty much from the getgo, it's just a question of how and when. The characters may try to improve matters, but they never do so with any hope of success. What elevates this above the self-flagellation of Ran (King Lear with less joy) is that the character arc is so strong and unique and the film only settles into being hopelessly tragic at the very end. That makes this the dark gem of his later career. A good film that tells a compelling story with skill.