Kagemusha

Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha (1980) reminded me of why I am such a huge fan of the director (in fact, I would name him the greatest director of all time): he has made so many films that are simply too brilliant. Even though Kurosawa himself referred to Kagemusha as the "dress rehearsal" for Ran (1985), the film is not a minor masterpiece. In fact, it is nearly as great as the epic Shakespearean film even though its tone and scope are vastly different.

The film recounts the tale of a thief who is forced to impersonate a famous warlord after his death. The impersonator's role is quite poetic, seeing how he is metaphorically between life and death throughout the film. His problems with identity and something resembling an existential crisis are thought-provoking. The powerplay between the warlords might not be as violent and aggressive as in Ran, but it surely is intriguing.

Kagemusha is incredibly poetic in its expression: long takes, precise compositions, graceful camera movement, meditative pacing and fascinating imagery create a distinctive mood for the film.

Kagemusha instantly became one of my favorite Kurosawa films. It creates a fantastic pair with Ran - it would be fascinating to take a deeper look into these two films and compare them.

Score: 10 out of 10