Film: Kagemusha
Running time: 180 mins
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kenichi Hagiwara, Jinpachi Nezu, Hideji Ôtaki
Genre: Drama/History/War
Country: Japan
This film was screened at the Barbican (barbican.org.uk) on 9th December 2010.
Kurosawa’s epic historical drama details the demise of an aging Japanese daimyo and his crumbling empire. Kagemusha is loosely based on the real life story of Shingen Takeda, and the circumstances surrounding his death.
The noble warlord Shingen is wounded by a rogue sniper during a siege one night, much to the horror of his generals. During his transit away from the battlefield, Shingen tragically dies in his sedan, and discloses his final wish of wanting to live another three years to his generals. In order to fulfil the lord’s dying wish, his closest generals decide to keep his death a secret, employing the services of a lowly thief to impersonate Shingen in battle and as political figurehead at home.
The thief is initially plagued by haunting dreams and visions of the old Shingen, but soon grows into his role, mimicking Shingen’s mannerisms and language perfectly…
Like many of Kurosawa’s other films such as Rashomon and Throne of Blood, Kagemusha is very much concerned with deception, and the play between reality and illusion. If a lowly thief can successfully pass as a daimyo for three whole years, what does that tell us of nobility, birth and class? Do we judge a man according to what he does or what he is? In Kagemusha, Kurosawa explores these ideas and more, creating a world where the lines between reality and fiction, the good and bad, the past and present are all blurred and crossed.
The transformation of thief to the noble lord Shingen is a slow process that is more about him trying to understand the daimyo, and the power and authority he commands. As the thief is slowly immersed into his new world, the full extent of Shingen’s power is revealed through the scores of servants, concubines, bodyguards and generals who all dedicate their lives to him. True respect and authority it seems, comes from inspiring awe, not fear, within the hearts of your followers. During the Battle of Takatenjin, the thief is shocked to see the legions of men who literally use their own bodies as shields in order to protect Shingen, such is their loyalty to the lord. By stepping into the shoes of the great leader, the thief is equally inspired by Shingen’s power and strives to better himself accordingly.
One of the most common criticisms against Kagemusha is that the film feels somewhat detached and self-indulgent, with a running time of just under three hours and an estimated budget of $6 million. Unlike the traditional Jidaigecki, instead of the hero protagonist, we are left with an empty shell, in a stylised film that is more concerned with illusion and performance then substance. However, what can be interpreted in one sense as form over content, Kagemusha can also be viewed as a postmodern Jidaigecki, highlighting the effects of modernity on society.
For example, the Battle of Nagashino is won due to the volleys of gunfire that systematically destroy wave after wave of cavalrymen and foot soldiers. In addition, Shingen’s own death is also caused by a lone sniper, who manages to fatally wound him from a distance. The advances of technology, symbolised by the firearm, herald the demise of Shingen’s clan and renders the traditional styles of combat useless. The real Battle of Nagashino was considered a turning point in Japanese military history, as firearms became a crucial part of combat ever since. Military warfare began to turn away from the aristocratic samurai battles, towards a more industrialised and modern style of combat. Technology thus marks not just the personal end of Shingen, but the dawning of a new modern era.
What Kagemusha represents is an experimental Jidaigecki, portraying the beginning of the demise of feudal Japan, and the encroachment of modernity and upon its dying traditions. There is no outright hero or villain, and it is difficult to argue whether the protagonist is really the thief or Shingen. In one poignant scene, one of the retainers muses: “A double means something only when there is an original. When the original is gone, what will happen to the double?” However, in Kagemusha it is this meaningless double that we identify and sympathise with, demonstrating the postmodern idea of simulacra and signs. The thief is just a signifier for the real Shingen, who exists in the hearts and minds of his subjects as nothing more than a symbolic concept. Ultimately, Shingen’s power and influence is something that transcends the real Shingen, and is able to survive independently even after his death.
Kagemusha is an important piece of Japanese cinema that reinvents the Jidaigecki genre to reflect the concerns and effects of modern society. Its sumptuous costumes, epic battle scenes and skilful storytelling once again confirm Kurosawa’s place as one of cinema’s greatest auteur. KW
No comments:
Post a Comment