Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free First Class Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
23 used & new from £1.20
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Kagemusha [1980] [DVD]
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images

Kagemusha [1980] [DVD]

DVD ~ Tatsuya Nakadai
4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
RRP: £12.99
Price: £5.28 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £7.71 (59%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Usually dispatched within 1 to 3 weeks.
Items for dispatch to UK will be sold by Amazon's Preferred Merchant. (Why?) Gift-wrap available.

13 new from £2.33 9 used from £1.20 1 collectible from £3.00
Learn about Lovefilm
Amazon's choice for DVD rental.
With a 14 day FREE trial. Learn more

Frequently Bought Together

Kagemusha [1980] [DVD] + Ran [DVD] [1985] + Seven Samurai [1954] [DVD]
Total RRP: £52.97
Price For All Three: £23.74

Some of these items ship sooner than the others. Show details

  • This item: Kagemusha [1980] [DVD] DVD ~ Tatsuya Nakadai

    Usually dispatched within 1 to 3 weeks.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • Ran [DVD] [1985] DVD ~ Tatsuya Nakadai

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • Seven Samurai [1954] [DVD] DVD ~ Toshirô Mifune

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Kagemusha [1980] [DVD]
62% buy the item featured on this page:
Kagemusha [1980] [DVD] 4.0 out of 5 stars (22)
£5.28
Ran [DVD] [1985]
13% buy
Ran [DVD] [1985] 4.2 out of 5 stars (15)
£5.98
Seven Samurai [1954] [DVD]
9% buy
Seven Samurai [1954] [DVD] 4.8 out of 5 stars (55)
£12.48
Rashomon [1950] [Special Edition] [DVD]
8% buy
Rashomon [1950] [Special Edition] [DVD] 5.0 out of 5 stars (6)
£4.98
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Actors: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kenichi Hagiwara, Jinpachi Nezu, Hideji Otaki
  • Directors: Akira Kurosawa
  • Writers: Akira Kurosawa
  • Producers: Akira Kurosawa, Audie Bock, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Tomoyuki Tanaka
  • Format: PAL, Widescreen
  • Language Japanese
  • Subtitles: Danish, English, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: PG
  • Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
  • DVD Release Date: 3 Jun 2002
  • Run Time: 153 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B000065UHE
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 5,396 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

    Popular in these categories:

    #19 in  DVD > Action & Adventure > Historical
    #46 in  DVD > Drama > Historical
    #47 in  DVD > Drama > Period

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
The 1970s were difficult years for the great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. Having been unable to secure full Japanese backing for his epic project Kagemusha, the 70-year-old master found American support from George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, who served as co-executive producers (through 20th Century Fox) for this magnificent 1980 production--to that date the most expensive film in Japanese history. Set in the late-16th century, Kagemusha centres on the Takeda clan, one of three warlord clans battling for control of Japan at the end of the feudal period. When their leader Lord Shingen (Tatsuya Nakadai) is mortally wounded in battle, he orders that his death be kept secret and that his "kagemusha"--or "shadow warrior"--take his place for a period of three years to prevent clan disruption and enemy takeover. The identical double is a petty thief (also played by Nakadai) spared from execution due to his uncanny resemblance to Lord Shingen--but his true identity cannot prevent the tides of fate from rising over the Takeda clan in a climactic scene of battlefield devastation. Through stunning visuals and meticulous attention to every physical and stylistic detail, Kurosawa made a film that restored his status as Japan's greatest filmmaker, and the success of Kagemusha enabled the director to make his 1985 masterpiece, Ran. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Description
Produced by George Lucas and Frnacis Ford Coppola, the samurai film Kagemusha is set in the 16th Century feudal Japan and centres on the power struggle between the powerful warlord Shingen Takeda (Tatsuya Nakadai) and teo rival clans. Directed by Akira Kurosawa, this emotionally touching and philosophical story won the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival in 1980.

Product Details
Feature Running time: 152 minutes
Language: English
Subtitles: Hard of hearing English, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish.
Original Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (16x9)
Sound Quality: Japanese 4.0 Stero 2.0 Mono



See all Reviews

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Ran [DVD] [1985]

Ran [DVD] [1985]

DVD ~ Tatsuya Nakadai
4.2 out of 5 stars (15)  £5.98
Seven Samurai [1954] [DVD]

Seven Samurai [1954] [DVD]

DVD ~ Toshirô Mifune
4.8 out of 5 stars (55)  £12.48
Yojimbo [1961] [DVD]

Yojimbo [1961] [DVD]

DVD ~ Toshirô Mifune
4.4 out of 5 stars (17)  £12.68
Rashomon [1950] [Special Edition] [DVD]

Rashomon [1950] [Special Edition] [DVD]

DVD ~ Toshiro Mifune
5.0 out of 5 stars (6)  £4.98
Throne Of Blood [1957] [DVD]

Throne Of Blood [1957] [DVD]

DVD ~ Toshirô Mifune
4.7 out of 5 stars (7)  £12.68
› Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(3)
(2)
See all 5 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

22 Reviews
5 star:
 (13)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
89 of 93 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Great film, average DVD, 9 Nov 2002
By A Customer
Kurosawa’s 1980 samurai epic is much more than a dry run for his Shakespearean epic “Ran”. In its own right it is filmmaking on a vast canvas, documenting the downfall of the Takeda clan in 16th century Japan. The title refers to the double who takes the place of the warlord Takeda Shingen when the latter dies. The film then becomes concerned with the nature of identity, as the double learns to adapt to the role of the warlord, and reality and illusion merge.

Fans of the kinetic energy of Kurosawa’s classic black-and-white pictures must have been surprised by the opening shot – the camera doesn’t move once for the whole six-minute scene. In fact, the mostly static camera is a feature of Kurosawa’s mature style: detached, fatalistic, his characters now trapped by destiny and unable to change its course. “Kagemusha” is a pessimistic work, one which offers no hope of action. Kurosawa had begun to delineate the way things fall apart, and the atmosphere is one of melancholy and, ultimately, despair.

I have heard it remarked that this film (and “Ran”) suffers from the absence of Toshiro Mifune. While I agree that the break-up of Kurosawa and Mifune made cinema a poorer place, it must be said that Tatsuya Nakadai (a stage actor who had previously played villains in “Yojimbo” and “Sanjuro”) does an excellent job in a role originally intended for the comic actor Shinaro Katsu. However, the true greatness lies, as always, in Kurosawa’s direction. Like “Ran,” “Kagemusha” was meticulously planned, mapped out first in the form of drawings and diagrams, a result of Kurosawa’s inability to secure financial backing for the film for several years. The film is full of visually stunning scenes, none more so than the finale one, the bloody aftermath of the Battle of Nagashino, its scenes of carnage apparently inspired by Kurosawa’s witnessing of the Kanto earthquake of 1923.

There are, however, several problems with the DVD, and that is why I haven’t given it the full five stars. Firstly, this is the international version of the film. That is to say, it is nearly 30 minutes shorter than the Japanese release. One consequence of this is that we miss out on the great Takashi Shimura’s last performance for Kurosawa. Secondly, the only English subtitles provided are for the hard-of-hearing. This smacks of laziness to me. Lastly, there has been no attempt to “clean-up” the picture, and sadly it is quite grainy, with the colours not as vibrant as they should be. While it is certainly watchable, one cannot help thinking that such a major work deserves better.

In conclusion, then, a great Kurosawa film let down by a so-so DVD.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Superlative film - diabolical dvd!, 5 Jan 2004
As another reviewer has already observed, surely this masterpiece deserves the best possible remastering for DVD? Apart from the awful editing and cutting, the picture quality is very poor and the sound is a disgrace. Kurosawa San and Kagemusha should be afforded the proper respect and until that happens I strongly advise would be viewers to see this magnificent film in all its' glory on the big screen.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A true Samurai epic., 2 Mar 2002
By fifthchamber@aol.com (London, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Kagemusha [VHS] [1980] (VHS Tape)
This film depicts the Sengoku Jidai (Warring states of Japan) Warlord or Daimyo Takeda Shingen's death and his replacement by a 'Kagemusha' or 'shadow warrior', an impersonator who must rally the Takeda armies together and finish what was started by Shingen before his death.
An incredibly accurate film (although NOT based on reality) regarding the costumes and period settings..Rivalling the parallel story told in 'Samurai Banners' and equally lush in the films quality..If you are looking for a great film for the collection then this is a must.
Knowledge of the times and people only helps with the 'in-jokes' of the film but this is not essential to enjoy the film.
Overall, along with Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and Samurai Banners this is a must have film for anyone interested in Japanese Samurai history and the characters of those times.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great film
Two great Japanese color movies were made by the famous director Kurosawa. Both are breathtakingly beautiful (and violent). Read more
Published 4 months ago by Sterling Seagrave

2.0 out of 5 stars More can be achieved in 154 minutes...
Kagemusha makes me wonder about Kurosawa as a director. Wasn't he over rated?

I believe this movie to be of little interest to anyone outside the eliteist clan of... Read more
Published 6 months ago by T. Eriksson

5.0 out of 5 stars A piece of history and art
To be completely fair to everyone on Amazon, not just connoisseurs of film, I shall say that anyone looking for Shogun Assassin 2 or Kill Bill 3 should turn away now, this is not... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Paul Mattis

1.0 out of 5 stars Oh so very boring!
Having seen Seven Samurai and Yojimbo I was curious to see what Akira Kurosawa did with a massive budget and full colour. He managed to be totally boring. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. Gareth I. Davies

5.0 out of 5 stars not for choreography fans
Deals nicely with a very exciting time in feudal Japan. The story is loosely based on facts but is mostly fiction. Read more
Published 13 months ago by M. Davidson

2.0 out of 5 stars FLAT AS A PANCAKE!
If you're looking for serious action then leave this one well alone. I only suffered the first hour and there was not one single 'fight' in that time. Read more
Published 23 months ago by C. Wilcox

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellant piece of Cinematography
The film is visibly stunning: the costumes, sets, landscapes etc.. The acting is of the highest quality and you find yourself being totally absorbed. Read more
Published on 6 Oct 2006 by Sebastian Lopez

4.0 out of 5 stars Disputed Classic by an Undisputed Master
Kurosawa's last two samurai films are the tragedies, "Ran" and "Kagemusha". In terms of spectacle and scope, both are masterly, with each boasting set pieces to rival the... Read more
Published on 11 Aug 2006 by Sordel

5.0 out of 5 stars Politics and intrigue in 16th century Japan.
To really appreciate Kagemusha it helps to know something of Japan in the 16th century, plus it helps to watch it more than once! Read more
Published on 1 Mar 2006 by evilsheriff

1.0 out of 5 stars disappointed
After reading the film discription and the reviews I thought to myself this film sounds alright. The storyline wasn't too bad and as different clans and warlords were... Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2006

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
drama
Help with a film title? 		3 15 minutes ago
action
Westerns 		5 4 hours ago
drama
Serial TV Drama 		0 6 hours ago
drama
what's been the scariest film you have seen? 		35 11 hours ago
drama
Films that made you cry?? 		39 11 hours ago
drama
Greatest U.S. tv series? 		147 11 hours ago
action
greatest death in a movie 		69 2 days ago
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

›Shop the Powerball store

  

Let Olay Amaze You

Olay Total Effects Day Moisturiser SPF15 50ml
Amazon.co.uk sells all your favourite ranges from Olay, including Regenerist and Total Effects.

›Discover Olay at Amazon.co.uk

  

Up to 50% off Dental Care

Braun Oral-B Professional Care 6000 Rechargeable Toothbrush - Pack of 2
Put a sparkle in your smile with up to 50% off selected Oral-B and Philips rechargeable toothbrushes.

›Up to 50% off power toothbrushes

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates