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Kagemusha

Kagemusha

The Shadow of a man can never stand up and walk on its own.

19807.83h 0m

Overview

Akira Kurosawa's lauded feudal epic presents the tale of a petty thief who is recruited to impersonate Shingen, an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. When Shingen dies, his generals reluctantly agree to have the impostor take over as the powerful ruler. He soon begins to appreciate life as Shingen, but his commitment to the role is tested when he must lead his troops into battle against the forces of a rival warlord.

Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Written by Akira Kurosawa, Masato Ide
Produced by Akira Kurosawa
Box OfficeBudget: $6.0MRevenue: $4.0M

Top Cast

Tatsuya Nakadai

Tatsuya Nakadai

Shingen Takeda / Kagemusha

Tsutomu Yamazaki

Tsutomu Yamazaki

Nobukado Takeda

Kenichi Hagiwara

Kenichi Hagiwara

Katsuyori Takeda

Jinpachi Nezu

Jinpachi Nezu

Sohachiro Tsuchiya

Hideji Ōtaki

Hideji Ōtaki

Masakage Yamagata

Daisuke Ryū

Daisuke Ryū

Nobunaga Oda

Masayuki Yui

Masayuki Yui

Ieyasu Tokugawa

Kaori Momoi

Kaori Momoi

Otsuyanokata

Mitsuko Baisho

Mitsuko Baisho

Oyunokata

Hideo Murota

Hideo Murota

Nobufusa Baba

Themes & Keywords

japansamuraiarmyemperorwarlordbattleimpersonationdoppelgängerjidaigekiedo periodsengoku periodfeudal lordfeudal japan16th centuryséculo xvi

About Kagemusha

Kagemusha is a action, drama, history, war film released in 1980 exploring themes of japan, samurai, army, emperor, warlord, battle. Directed by Akira Kurosawa, it stars Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kenichi Hagiwara. Akira Kurosawa's lauded feudal epic presents the tale of a petty thief who is recruited to impersonate Shingen, an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. When Shingen dies, his generals reluctantly agree to have the impostor take over as the powerful ruler. He soon begins to appreciate life as Shingen, but his commitment to the role is tested when he must lead his troops into battle against the forces of a rival warlord.

Movies Similar to Kagemusha

Discover titles like Kagemusha — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to Kagemusha

If you enjoyed Kagemusha, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of Kagemusha.

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The background to and depiction of a watershed battle in Japanese history, at Sekigahara in 1600, when Tokugawa Ieyasu's Army of the East defeated the Army of the West of Ishida Mitsunari. The story includes the intrigues and shifting loyalties of the various retainers, family members, and samurai.

Ugetsu
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Ugetsu(1953)

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In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro and Tobei sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage's warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro's pursuit of both riches and the mysterious Lady Wakasa, as well as Tobei's desire to become a samurai, run the risk of destroying both themselves and their wives, Miyagi and Ohama.

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Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.

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When feudal lord Itakura Katsuakira decides to prepare his samurai troops for the onslaught of modernization by having them compete in a marathon, his independent-minded daughter Yuki secretly joins the race.

Sword of the Stranger
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Pursued by formidable Chinese assassins, young Kotaro and his dog run into No Name, a mysterious stranger who gets pulled into the chase. The unlikely companions form a bond over saving the dog from a poison attack, but chaos erupts when the assassins find Kotaro, and No Name must face his past before a horrible fate is met again.