Kagemusha L&#39;Ombra Del Guerrier

Questa pellicola di Kurosawa aldilà della produzione internazionale e dei riconoscimenti che ha avuto non è un prodotto che può piacere a chi conosce anche per sommi capi il cinema asiatico degli ultimi 15 anni che si muove su storie locali ma con un evidente interesse ad uscire dal proprio territorio. In Kurosawa c'è il teatro. Non aspettatevi di vedere le pellicole attuali. C'è una ostentazione del gesto, della maschera, non ci sono guerrieri che compiono prodezze fisiche mirabolanti. C'è fotografia, colore, costumi, scenografia ma tutto quanto è teatro. Si deve guardare il film come in poltrona a teatro. In Kurosawa, l'ultimo kurosawa non c'è l'ansia di dover pensare ad un pubblico internazionale, anzi...Da vedere assolutamente

15 persone l'hanno trovato utile

Un capolavoro sublime, ma non per tutti

paola

Recensito in Italia il 4 ottobre 2014

Il restauro è soddisfacente e la risoluzione 1080p, nonostante non all' altezza delle produzioni più recenti, permette di apprezzare di più le belle ambientazioni del film. Stupenda la storia e la fotografia, sublimi i dialoghi anche se è opportuno conoscere qualcosa della cultura e della storia del Giappone per poter comprendere meglio il comportamento dei vari personaggi. Per i non appassionati può rivelarsi molto pesante data la durata, ma dategli una chance e non perdetevi questo capolavoro di Kurosawa. Ottimo audio giapponese e più che discreto anche in italiano

2 persone l'hanno trovato utile

Marco

Grande cinema

Recensito in Italia il 12 dicembre 2015

Non è facile dare un'opinione in quanto il film fa parte di un genere particolare e che potrebbe, per principio, non piacere. A me comunque è piaciuto molto e credo che qualsiasi appassionato di cinema dovrebbe vederlo. Per chi non è propriamente cinefilo, attenzione: è un film che può essere percepito come troppo lento. In realtà fa parte del modo con cui cresce il pathos e la teatralità dell'opera

3 persone l'hanno trovato utile

Elleppi

4 stelle o cinque?

Recensito in Italia il 16 giugno 2014

Questo film contiene tutto il meglio di Kurosawa, pur essendo in parte molto lento, a volte troppo rispetto a quanto la trama e le atmosfere del film richiedano.
É una dimostrazione di grande stile e di enorme talento nel padroneggiare la tragedia (qui é Shakespeare in Giappone), con tanti momenti altissimi. Personalmente preferisco Ran, nel suo maggior equilibrio tra silenzi e l'assordante rumore della battaglia, tra fissita e movimento delle inquadrature, tra lirismo e violenza.
Ma stiamo parlando di film talmente alti che trovare i difetti é quasi un lusso, se non un capriccio.
Kurosawa sicuramente non é per tutti, ma se volete immergervi nel fascino del Giappone, questo é uno di quei film imprescindibili.
Ottimo blu ray

4 persone l'hanno trovato utile

Luca Sarpero

Capolavoro

Recensito in Italia il 29 marzo 2021

Bellissimo film di Akira Kurosawa, non si può non avere se appassionatì dei lavori del Maestro

Recensito in Italia il 21 marzo 2021

Con questa valutazione non mi riferisco al film naturalmente, che è uno dei capolavori di Kurosawa, ma all'edizione Blu Ray.
La qualità video non è per niente adatta al supporto Blu Ray, sembra tranquillamente quella di un dvd nemmeno di altissima fattura. Gli extra ci sono e sono ben fatti, salvano l'edizione da un pessimo voto.

Una persona l'ha trovato utile

Film eccelso, ogni cinefilo dovrebbe averne uno nella sua collezione!

Marco Di Ruscio

Recensito in Italia il 13 agosto 2016

Kurosawa è sempre Kurosawa, e qui si vede! L'attenzione ai piccoli particolari, ogni minima mossa è studiata per avere la perfezione. Recitazione che si avvicina molto al teatro nipponico. Costumi eccezionali, tripudio di colori e di vesti per noi sgargianti. Un film che nessuno (cinefili e non) dovrebbe perdersi!

Una persona l'ha trovato utile

Tornado

Da avere

Recensito in Italia il 25 luglio 2020

Tutto bene ottimo film da avere assolutamente in per una buona cineteca.

Traduci tutte le recensioni in Italiano

Le recensioni migliori da altri paesi

Jean-Luc

tres bien

Recensito in Francia il 8 aprile 2024

super

Leonardo

Amazing blu ray to own

Recensito in Spagna il 23 febbraio 2024

There should be more stuff like this

Ann Cameron

Arrived in good time and met expectations. Very happy with purchase.

Recensito in Canada il 6 marzo 2020

Highly recommended.

Ray

Doppelgänger....

Recensito in Germania il 6 aprile 2019

"Kagemusha" von Akira Kurosawa entstand in den Jahren 1979 und 1980. Der Regisseur drehte den Film nach langen Jahren wieder im Heimatland, ermöglkcht wurde dies durch die Unterstützung der Freunde und Bewunderer George Lucas, und Francis Ford Coppola, die sich für diesen Historienfilm auch finanziell engagierten.

Bei diesem sehr ungewöhnlichen Samurai Filme lässt sich der Filmemacher sehr viel Zeit die Geschichte zu entfalten. Der Film entwickelt dabei immer mehr eine epische Kraft und steht auch für eine dem Untergang geweihte Epoche. Die mitreißend inszenierten Kampfszenen haben immer einen sehr distanzierten Touch, der Zuschauer kann das Treiben einer sinnlosen Zerstörung beobachten und immer mehr kommt dabei eine düstere Endzeitstimmung zum Tragen. "Kagemusha" wurde ein großer Kinoerfolg, der Film gewann die goldene Palme von Cannes und den Cesar als bester Auslandsfilm. Er wurde auch als bester Auslandsfilm für den Oscar nominiert, unterlag am Ende allerdings dem viel schwächeren russischen Beitrag "Moskau glaubt den Tränen nicht".

Die Geschichte spielt in Japan des Jahres 1572. Verschiedene Clans kämpfen um die Vorherrschaft des Landes. Die Eroberung der Stadt Kyoto ist dabei ein symbolträchtiges Ziel. Der mächtigste unter diesen Clanherrschern ist der besonnene Shingen Takeda (Nakadai Tatsuya). Der wird eines Tages von seinem Bruder Nobukado Takeda (Yamazaki Tsutomu) überrascht, denn dieser hat einen Doppelgänger für Shingen gefunden. Bisher hatte der ähnlich aussehende Bruder diese Rolle schon öfters gespielt und so den Gegner schon oft verwirren können. Dieser Mann - ein Dieb, den der Bruder vor dem Galgen rettete, hat aber tatsächlich eine frappierende Ähnlichkeit, was selbst Shingen in echtes Erstaunen versetzt. Somit ist der Kagemusha (Schatten des Kriegers) geboren. Seine Armee belagert zu dieser Zeit die Festung Noda und schafft es, die Wasserversorgung zu kappen. Doch jemand in der Festung spielt jeden Abend Flöte - ein Zeichen, dass der Feind die Festung halten könnte. Er will dieses Flötenspiel hören und dies wird ihm zum Verhängnis, denn ein Scharfschütze hat die Möglichkeit in dieser Vollmondnacht einen Schuß auf ihn abzufeuern. Schwer verletzt kann der Sterbende noch bestimmen, dass man seinen Tod 3 Jahre geheim halten muss. Dies ist auch die Stunde seines Doppelgängers, von dem nur wenig Eingeweihte wissen. Und der seine Umgebung durch seine Ähnlichkeit täuschen kann - selbst der kleine Enkel fällt auf den falschen Opa herein. Durch Shingens Weiterleben kann man auch Schlachten gegen die Feind gewinnen. Shingens leiblicher Sohn Katsuryori (Kenichi Hagiwara) ist alles andere glücklich mit dem Doppelgänger seines Vaters, gegen den Rat der Generäle beschließt er in den Kampf zu ziehen, was bald zur Katastrophalen Niederlage werden könnte. Doch durch das Auftauche von Shingen wendet sich die drohende Schlappe in einen Sieg. Dann macht der Kagemusha aber einen folgenschweren Fehler: Er versucht auf dem Pferd von Shingen zu reiten. Doch Tiere lassen sich nicht täuschen. Das Tier wirft den falschen Shingen ab und als die Konkubinen den Verletzten behandeln, merken sie, dass die Narben des Clan Chefs fehlen. Im Schimpf und Schande wird der Kagemusha aus dem Haus gejagt. Katsuyori wird nun als neuer Clan Chef ausgerufen. Doch der führt sein Heer in eine vernichtende Niederlage...

Und diese Niederlage wird vom Kagemusha im Schilfdickicht verborgen, beobachtet. Er wird Augenzeuge des großen Schlachtfelds. Der Tod dieser Ritter hat eine gleichnishafte Bedeutung und markiert die bereits erwähnte Zäsur. "Kagemusha" ist etwas spröder als der Nachfolger "Ran", doch auch hier hat Kurosawa ein großes Meisterwerk geschaffen. Die Kriegskunst der Samurai muss irgendwann in naher Zukunft der Kunst des Schießpulvers weichen. Die effektiv inszenierten Kampfszenen sind mitreissend gestaltet und Kameramann Takao Saito hat unheimliche Bilder dieser Apocalpyse geschaffen.

18 persone l'hanno trovato utile

Darth Maciek

S-P-L-E-N-D-I-D! A film fast as the wind but silent as the forest, ardent as fire but calm as a mountain

Recensito nel Regno Unito il 11 ottobre 2013

This is an extraordinary film combining great scenario and incredible visual effects, made by THE great master of Japanese cinema Akira Kurosawa. Below, more of my impressions, with some SPOILERS.

"Kagemusha" is the story of just three years of the incredible and extremely intense saga of Takeda clan. The period of great importance of Takeda was in years 1536-1582, but this film tells just the story of the dramatic years 1573 to 1575, from the siege of Noda castle to the battle of Nagashino. In order to better understand the events described in "Kagemusha" it is helpful to know the main events of the history of the Takeda clan in the previous years, as they are ocassionally referred to, but not fully explained.
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In 1536 Takeda Nobutora, the head of Takeda clan, was the daimyo of impoverished mountainous province of Kai. Not only was this province a dirt poor backwater, but the Takeda didn't even really control all of it, as some of their nominal retainers, like the Hirada family, were in fact completely independent. Therefore the Takeda were really just a little, not very wealthy provincial samurai clan, without much importance. In 1536 Takeda Nobutora lost an important battle against the Hirada family, but soon after Takeda Harunobu, his then barely 15-years old son, avenged the defeat and destroyed completely the Hirada, greatly strengthening the position of his clan.

That great achievement notwithstanding, there was not much love between father and son and Harunobu, although being the oldest son, was not designed as heir - that position went to his younger brother Nobushige instead. Refusing this, Takeda Harunobu in 1541 seized the power and banished his father. Both his younger brothers decided to stay in Kai and remained loyal to Harunobu - when "Kagemusha" begins, Nobushige was already dead (see below) but second brother, Nobukado, is one of the main characters in the film. Takeda Nobuzane, his half-brother, who was still a child at that moment, also was going to serve him loyally once fully grown up.

The new leader was very ambitious and even if he had now all the Kai under his control he immediately attacked other daimyos from the neighboring province of Shinano, destroying first the Murakami clan. His next target was the Suwa clan, comprehensively defeated in 1542 - their leader, Suwa Yorishige, was taken prisoner and later murdered. Of all the Suwa clan only the daughter of Suwa Yorishige survived (we don't know her name - she is known only as Lady Suwa). Impressed by her beauty Takeda Harunobu took her as a concubine and she gave him his favorite son, Takeda Katsuyori, who is another important character in the film.

Having completed the conquest of Shinano province and having signed the alliance with the powerful daimyo Imagawa of Suruga, young Harunobu beacame a very famous and powerful warlord - from that moment he was called "The Tiger of Kai". It was at that time that encouraged by his main strategist, Yamamoto Kansuke, he had made a new war banner, under which the Takeda clan would fight from now on - and which would become a legend in its own. This banner was called "Furin Kazan", from characters signifying "Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain" and the flag itself carried the inscription taken from Sun Tzu's writings, precising the characteristics necessary for a great general: "Fast as the wind, silent as the forest, ardent as the fire, calm as the mountain".

His next target was the province of Echigo and its young lord Nagao Kagetora, who had the particularity of being not only an exceptionnal warrior but also a buddhist monk, better known under his religious name Uesugi Kenshin and also called "The Dragon of Echigo". The long confrontation between the "Tiger of Kai" and "Dragon of Echigo" lasted 14 years, roughly from 1550 to 1564. During this time they fought no less than five battles at the Kawanakajima plain!

In 1559 Takeda Harunobu decided to become himself a novice Buddhist monk and took a new name - from that moment on he was known as Takeda Shingen.

The culmination of the confrontation between the Takeda and Uesugi armies was the fourth battle of Kawanakajima, in 1561, in which at one moment Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin fought one against other, swords in hand! Takeda Shingen was wounded during this fight - and as you will see, the scar from this wound plays an important role in "Kagemusha" plot. The battle itself however was a draw - Uesugi Kenshin lost more soldiers (4000 against 3000 for the Takeda clan) but he could withdraw without being bothered by exhausted enemies. The Takeda clan lost also two precious generals - the famous strategist Yamamoto Kansuke and Shingen's loyal younger brother, Takeda Nobushige.

Realizing that his fight against Uesugi Kenshin is a dead end, Takeda Shingen made peace with his old nemesis in 1564. Uesugi Kenshin appears briefly in "Kagemusha" without being openly named - you will recognize him by his impressive monastic clothes and the buddhist rosary he always held in hands. Both warlords needed peace because a new power was rising in Japan: Oda Nobunaga, the terrifying and somehow extravagant daimyo of Owari, who apears a lot in "Kagemusha" (including a greatly hilarious scene in which he and his guest taste some Portuguese wine or like they call it "barbarian sake"...).

In 1560 Oda Nobunaga greatly weakened the powerful Imagawa clan from Suruga by winning the battle of Okehazama. Seeing that Suruga province was now ripe for picking, Takeda Shingen betrayed his Imagawa allies and finally seized this precious land in 1569. The Takeda clan was now a major power and one of two top pretenders to the control over all Japan. The only rival of the Takeda was the alliance between Oda Nobunaga and a young daimyo from Mikawa, a certain Matsudaira Takechiyo, who in 1567 changed his name and became Tokugawa Ieyasu - this latter famous character also appears in "Kagemusha"...

In 1567 Takeda Yoshinobu, Shingen's oldest son by his wife, Lady Sanjo, rebelled against his father resenting his favouritism towards Katsuyori. Easily defeated, Yoshinobu was forced by his father to commit seppuku.

After defeating Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu in some minor engagements and in the major battle at Mikatagahara on 25 January 1573, Takeda Shingen besieged, at the end of January 1573, the castle of Noda defended by 500 men loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu. This is AT THAT MOMENT THAT "Kagemusha" BEGINS - and I will not say much more about the action of the film.
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"Kagemusha" means "the shadow warrior" and in feudal Japan was the word designing the decoys used by some warlords to impersonate them in various occasions, to avoid risks of assasination or to let them recover in peace from sickness or simply to allow them to catch a moment of rest during the campaign... The use of "kagemushas" was a common practice and it gave of course occasion to some wild rumors - according to some of them, Tokugawa Ieyasu himself was supposedly killed at the second siege of Osaka in 1615 and during the following 12 months was replaced by a decoy, the time that his power is safely transmitted to his son (that story is almost certainly NOT true). In our times the decoys are also used - the most famous was certainly Clifton James, a simple soldier who for a time impersonated Montgomery, in order to deceive Axis intelligence services...

This film tells the story of a fictitious "kagemusha", as Takeda Shingen was not known for using one. Both Shingen and his double are played by the great Japanese actor Tatsuya Nakadai - and as always, he does a great job. Other important characters are Takeda Nobukado (Shingen's younger brother), Takeda Katsuyori (Shingen's favourite son) and Takemaru (real name Takeda Nobukatsu), Shingen's grandson, aged 5 at the beginning of the film.

Takeda Shingen was famous for gathering around him 24 excellent commanders, known as Twenty Four Generals of the Takeda. In 1573, when the film begins, many were already dead, so in this film we see only seven of them, including Takeda Nobukado. The most important character amongst them is Yamagata Masakage, the old man with red face. Two other real generals I managed to identify were Hara Masatane and Naito Masatoyo. Those are the three generals who at one moment cross their lances together, in an extremely powerful scene towards the end of the film.

Other than the scenario, which is excellent, as always in Kurosawa films, the great treasure of this film are the images. Samurai armies are impressive, battles are even better and the sequences of the dreams (or rather nightmares) are very powerful.

The final scenes of the great battle of Nagashino are of course a very beautiful thing from the artistic point of view, but the REAL battle was absolutely NOT such an one sided affair as it is pictured. Kurosawa needed to adapt this battle to obtain a Wagnerian finale and also there is no question that this battle ended with a great disaster for one of the sides - but still, in real history, things went VERY differently from what we see in "Kagemusha".

On another hand, the character of Oda Nobunaga is IMPRESSIVELY good! In this film he appears really as a warlord for whom thousands would be ready to rise, fight - and die.

The film doesn't say (sorry SPOILER coming) what would happen later to three of the most important characters, Takeda Nobukado, Takeda Katsuyori and little Takemaru (yes, here is the SPOILER - they survive to the final credits). And honestly I would advise you to NOT research this question before watching "Kagemusha". Do it after. Believe me, it is a good advice.

CONCLUSION: this film is a masterpiece; it lasts 3 hours but at the end you will only feel sorry that there is no more; a film to buy, watch, keep and re-watch. Enjoy!

17 persone l'hanno trovato utile