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IMDbPro

Kagemusha

  • 19801980
  • PGPG
  • 2h 42m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
37K
YOUR RATING
Kagemusha (1980)
Home video trailer for the Criterion Collection release of this film about a thief recruited to impersonate a warlord
Play trailer1:28
1 Video
56 Photos
DramaHistoryWar
A petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place.A petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place.A petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place.
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
37K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Akira Kurosawa
  • Writers
    • Masato Ide
    • Akira Kurosawa
  • Stars
    • Tatsuya Nakadai
    • Tsutomu Yamazaki
    • Ken'ichi Hagiwara
  • Director
    • Akira Kurosawa
  • Writers
    • Masato Ide
    • Akira Kurosawa
  • Stars
    • Tatsuya Nakadai
    • Tsutomu Yamazaki
    • Ken'ichi Hagiwara
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 123User reviews
    • 82Critic reviews
    • 84Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 20 wins & 5 nominations total

    Videos1

    Kagemusha: Criterion Collection
    Trailer 1:28
    Watch Kagemusha: Criterion Collection

    Photos56

    Kagemusha (1980)
    Kagemusha (1980)
    A1
    Kagemusha (1980)
    Kagemusha (1980)
    Kagemusha (1980)
    Kagemusha (1980)
    Tatsuya Nakadai in Kagemusha (1980)
    Kagemusha (1980)
    Tatsuya Nakadai in Kagemusha (1980)
    Tatsuya Nakadai in Kagemusha (1980)
    Kagemusha (1980)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tatsuya Nakadai
    Tatsuya Nakadai
    • Shingen Takeda…
    Tsutomu Yamazaki
    Tsutomu Yamazaki
    • Nobukado Takeda
    Ken'ichi Hagiwara
    • Katsuyori Takeda
    Jinpachi Nezu
    Jinpachi Nezu
    • Sohachiro Tsuchiya
    Hideji Ôtaki
    • Masakage Yamagata
    Daisuke Ryû
    Daisuke Ryû
    • Nobunaga Oda
    Masayuki Yui
    Masayuki Yui
    • Ieyasu Tokugawa
    Kaori Momoi
    Kaori Momoi
    • Otsuyanokata
    Mitsuko Baishô
    • Oyunokata
    Hideo Murota
    • Nobufusa Baba
    Takayuki Shiho
    • Masatoyo Naito
    Kôji Shimizu
    • Katsusuke Atobe
    Noboru Shimizu
    • Masatane Hara
    Sen Yamamoto
    • Nobushige Oyamada
    Shuhei Sugimori
    • Masanobu Kosaka
    Kota Yui
    • Takemaru
    Yasuhito Yamanaka
    • Ranmaru Mori
    Kumeko Otowa
    • Takemaru's Nurse
    • Director
      • Akira Kurosawa
    • Writers
      • Masato Ide
      • Akira Kurosawa
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When Toho Studios couldn't fulfill the budget demands of the film, American film directors George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola stepped in to help Akira Kurosawa. Kurosawa was visiting San Francisco in July 1978 and met Lucas and Coppola. The two convinced studio 20th Century-Fox, still riding high after the success of Lucas' Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), to advance-finance the film and fund the remaining portion of the budget. This was done in exchange for the film's world-wide distribution rights to the picture outside of Japan. This was the first time that distribution rights to a Japanese film had been pre-sold to a major Hollywood studio.
    • Goofs
      In the final battle there are at least 100 riflemen shown firing their matchlock rifles in volleys. The smoke generated by the matchlocks almost immediately dissipates. This indicates a more modern gunpowder was used in the matchlocks as the historically correct black powder load would blanket the battlefield with thick smoke after a handful of volleys.
    • Quotes

      Nobukado Takeda: The shadow of a man can never stand up and walk on its own.

    • Alternate versions
      In the original Japanese version, there are 20 minutes featuring Kenshin Uesugi. For some reason, these scenes were cut out of the USA version.
    • Connections
      Featured in A.K. (1985)

    User reviews123

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Akira Kurosawa Strikes Back!
    After spending a decade (or so) in solitary confinement from the Japanese Film Industry Akira Kurosawa returns to make his semi-masterpiece "Kagemusha", which he called a dress-rehearsal for "Ran", made in 1985.

    Kagemusha is, probably, the best example of cinematic overkill where nobody actually cares. Cinematic overkill is when someone constructs a complex multi-layered movie, stage epic-battles, introduce likeable and complex characters without having a very complicated message. The message of "Kagemusha" is simply this: If you pretend long enough to be something else you'll become it. Too simple, maybe, for what's delivered.

    Not that "Kagemusha" is a bad movie. It's haunting, it's spectacular and it's just great. I keep thinking about it over and over. I can't get it out of my head. Simply put "Kagemusha" is a masterpiece, albeit one up for debate. Not all Kurosawa fans would like it, but that's they're business. Personally, this is one of the movies currently that I'd really like to see again.

    PS: Thank goodness for George Lucas and Francis Ford Copolla who funded this movie.
    helpful•34
    18
    • bigsleepj
    • Sep 9, 2003

    FAQ1

    • What are the differences between the International Version and the Japanese Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 10, 1980 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Japan
      • United States
    • Language
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Kagemusha, sjena jena ratnika
    • Filming locations
      • Himeji Castle, Himeji, Japan(Nobunaga's castle)
    • Production companies
      • Kurosawa Production Co.
      • Toho Company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $6,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $4,000,000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $4,017,462
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 42 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • 4-Track Stereo(original version)
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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