- Kurosawa’s first film in five years since 1975’s Dersu Uzala – a three hour war epic
Kurosawa audaciously paints the sky red
- Set in 16th century feudal Japan—this is not from Shakespeare (though if you aren’t familiar with his work it could probably fool you)—sort of Alexandre Dumas The Man in the Iron Mask in some ways, too
Set in 16th century feudal Japan—this is not from Shakespeare (though if you aren’t familiar with his work it could probably fool you)—sort of Alexandre Dumas The Man in the Iron Mask in some ways, too
- A stunner at 15 minutes—the army in red uniforms posing in front of the castle
- The sunrise shot at 21 minutes should be framed and put on a wall in an museum- a great painting
The sunrise shot at 21 minutes should be framed and put on a wall in an museum- a great painting
- There is a shot at 58 minutes of the wood dividing and obstructing the frame- a shot that could easily be compared with a similarly gorgeous shot in Rashomon– some thirty years before- clearly the same auteur
- These images here on the page are quite magnificent—but the film is 180 minutes long—and 165 of those could be shot on a stage in a small theater with relatively unremarkable cinema (though a great character study) playing out in front of the camera
these images here on the page are quite magnificent—but the film is 180 minutes long—and 165 of those could be shot on a stage in a small theater with relatively unremarkable cinema (though a great character study) playing out in front of the camera
- At the 106 minute mark- there’s a great shot of the generals sitting in a circle with Tsutomu Yamazaki in his blue kimono
- And that leads right into the justifiably famous nightmare impressionistic painting sequence. Marvelous—bold—Kurosawa just splashing paint on the canvas here
the justifiably famous nightmare impressionistic painting sequence. Marvelous—bold—Kurosawa just splashing paint on the canvas here
- Again, most of the dialogue sequences are shot plainly—but there is one that impresses—at the 150 mark right after Tatsuya Nakadai falls off his horse, Kurosawa has this dazzling shot of the generals (in different color kimonos) facing out into the rain at the horse with the shoji doors making a frame within a frame.
- The final 18 minutes or so is the massive battle/massacre. Hundreds of extras used here for scale. Kurosawa uses slow-motion, long stretches with montage and no dialogue.
Kurosawa’s first film in five years since 1975’s Dersu Uzala – a three hour war epic
- Highly Recommend
Not sure yet what I’d crown Kurosawa’s best shot but alongside the sun through the trees in Rashomon I’d have this shot in Kagemusha you have on the page with the sun passed through each soldier in the army, just incredible.
@Drake – I noticed there are 2 versions of this film, one is 3 hours flat so 180 minutes and the other about 20 min shorter so about 160 minutes. If you’ve seen both which would you recommend?
@James – there’s a good post here listing every single difference.
https://akirakurosawa.info/forums/topic/kagemusha-differences-between-the-two-versions/#:~:text=Most%20of%20the%20differences%20between,manner%20includes%20very%20little%20dialogue.
the 160 minute version is the one I owned on blu-ray, they are some allegations that it’s the version that Kurosawa himself preferred and the 180 minute version is the one the studios wanted to be put out (normally the longer cut is the directors preferred).
If you look at the forum post its a lot of minor things cut out in the 160 minute version, you won’t miss any cinematic highlights. Takashi Shimura in his last performance in a Kurosawa film is only in the 180 min cut though.