Kagemusha LaserDisc, Rare LaserDiscs
Widescreen Editions Laser Disc

Worlds Leading Rare LaserDisc Authority

Bullet-proof Boxing Systems

Member Sign-In

Forgot your password ?

Stay Signed-in

Go To Sign-in Page

Widescreen Editions Kagemusha The Shadow Warrior WS Rare LaserDisc Kurosawa Action Foreign

Kagemusha The Shadow Warrior WS Rare LaserDisc Kurosawa Action Foreign

Japanese Language English Subtitles - Ships Worldwide

Kagemusha The Shadow Warrior WS Rare LaserDisc Kurosawa Action Foreign

Japanese Language English Subtitles - Ships Worldwide

Mega-Rare Widescreen, LaserDisc Movie Near-Mint LaserDiscs and Gatefold Jacket with light edge-wear

$4.97

Click to Zoom-in on Hi-res Pictures

Kagemusha The Shadow Warrior WS Rare LaserDisc Kurosawa Action Foreign

Japanese Language English Subtitles - Ships Worldwide

Mega-Rare Widescreen, LaserDisc Movie Near-Mint LaserDiscs and Gatefold Jacket with light edge-wear

$4.97

Member Options

$4.97

Mega-Rare Widescreen, LaserDisc Movie

Near-Mint LaserDiscs and Gatefold Jacket with light edge-wear

Akira Kurosawa's...

Kagemusha

( Catalog Number 110985 )
(1.85:1) (3 Sides) (CLV) (NTSC)

LaserDisc Special Features

Best Version on LaserDisc
Essay and Testimonial by George Lucas
International Theatrical Release
English Subtitles in Black Band at Bottom

Kagemusha
1980 - 159 min. - Color
Genre: War
Rated PG
Country: USA

LaserDisc Movie Storyline:
In this dazzling epic from Akira Kurosawa, a petty thief named Kagemusha (Tatsuya Nakadai) gets saved from a death sentence because he resembles the warlord Shingen Takeda (also Nakadai). The warlord has been fighting two other leaders for control of 16th-century Japan and impersonators often take his place during battles to put him out of harm's way. Because of Kagemusha's strong physical similarities to the warlord, he's a perfect choice for a "shadow warrior." However, the arrangement suddenly changes when Shingen gets fatally wounded while watching a battle. Adhering to Shingen's final wish, the warlord's men keep the death a secret, and Kagemusha struggles to transform himself from a criminal into a leader.

KAGEMUSHA marked a welcome return for the legendary director, who had not made a movie since 1974. Nakadai, a supporting player in earlier Kurosawa films, expertly portrays the leading role(s), almost always filled in the past by Toshir

LaserDisc Movie Review:
Just as many American studio-era directors found acclaim abroad that was denied them in their home country, by 1980 Akira Kurosawa's reputation outside Japan exceeded his esteem at home. As uncompromising as ever, he found considerable difficulty securing backing for his ambitious projects. Unsure he would be able to film it, the director, an aspiring artist before he entered filmmaking, converted Kagemusha into a series of paintings, and it was partly on the basis of these that he won the financial support of longtime admirers Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas. Set in the 16th century, when powerful warlords competed for control of Japan, it offers an examination of the nature of political power and the slipperiness of identity. For some time, Shingen Takeda Tatsuya Nakadai has been able to stay removed from the heat of battle by using his brother Nobukado Tsutomu Yamazaki as a double. As the film opens, Nobukado offers another option, having discovered a condemned thief (also played by Tatsuya Nakadai) bearing an uncanny resemblance to the warlord. After he insists on witnessing the fall of an enemy in person, Shingen falls victim to a sniper's bullet, forcing his advisers to present the thief as the fallen warrior. At first awkward in his new position and plagued by dreams in which the spirit of his double confronts him, he slowly grows into the role even as his enemies begin to advance on his kingdom. The winner of the Palm D'Or at Cannes, Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior has also been released as The Double. --- Keith Phipps

Kagemusha was an atypical entry in the canon of Akira Kurosawa, the master of the samurai epic. At the time, Kurosawa was gradually losing his eyesight, and his films were developing an increasingly impressive visual splendor. However, in Kagemusha, the action sequences are much less thrilling than in Kurosawa's other samurai epics. Here his focus is on character development and philosophical discourse. The film swings like a pendulum between stillness and action, an occasionally jarring mix of David Lean-like panoramas with intimate character study. In Kagemusha (which translates as "shadow warrior"), Kurosawa examines the concept of the double as a means to delve into enigmatic and paradoxical philosophical issues of identity, power, self-worth, and leadership. At first, Tatsuya Nakadai appears a little stiff in the essential dual role of warlord and thief, but his performance relies on subtle differences of intonation and gesture to reveal the evolution of his character. As always, Kurosawa's exploration of the values of feudal Japan provokes contemporary audiences to make parallels with modern Japan, a tendency that did not necessarily endear him to his countrymen. In fact, by 1980 Kurosawa was such a persona non grata in Japan that he had not made a film in five years: Kagemusha would not have been made without the financial assistance of George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola. --- Dan Jardine

Thanks for Visiting DaDon's !

Reviews, Articles, Newsletter and Information for Movies on LaserDisc LD Laser Disc, LazerDisc.

Cast for Kagemusha

Tatsuya Nakadai - Shingen Takeda/Kagemusha
Tsutomu Yamazaki - Nobukado Takeda
Kenichi Hagiwara - Katsuyori Takeda
Kota Yui - Takemaru
Shuji Otake - Yamagata
Daisuke Ryu - Oda
Kamatari Fujiwara - Doctor
Masayuki Yui - Iegasu Tokugawa
Mitsuko Baisho - Oyunokata
Kaori Momoi - Otsuyanokata
Hideo Murota - Baba
Takashi Shimura - Gyobu Taguchi
Norio Matsui
Jinpachi Nezu - Sohachiro Tsuchiya

Crew for Kagemusha

Akira Kurosawa - Director / Producer / Screenwriter
Masato Ide - Producer / Screenwriter
Kazuo Miyagawa - Cinematographer
Asaichi Nakai - Cinematographer
Takao Saito - Cinematographer
Masaharu Ueda - Cinematographer
Shoji Ueda - Cinematographer
Shinichiro Ikebe - Composer (Music Score)
Shinobu Muraki - Production Designer
Yoshiro Muraki - Art Director
Francis Ford Coppola - Executive Producer
George Lucas - Executive Producer
Tomoyuki Tanaka - Executive Producer

Awards for Kagemusha

Best Art Direction (nom) Yoshiro Muraki 1980 Academy
Best Foreign Language Film (nom) 1980 Academy
Best Costume Design (win) Momosawa, Seiichiro 1980 British Academy Awards
Best Direction (win) Akira Kurosawa 1980 British Academy Awards
Palme d'Or (win) 1980 Cannes International Film Festival
Best Foreign Film (win) Akira Kurosawa 1980 French Academy of Cinema
Best Foreign Film (nom) 1980 Golden Globe
Best Foreign Film (nom) 1980 National Board of Review
Best Foreign Film (nom) Akira Kurosawa 1980 New York Film Critics Circle

Feature Details

Title: Kagemusha
Feature Release Date: 1980
Genre: War
Rating: PG
Color: Color
Runtime: 159 Minutes
Chapters: 25
Picture: Letterboxed
Ratio: 1.85:1
Playback Format: CLV

IMDB Info...

Technical Details

LD Release Date: 31 Dec 1993
Catalog Number: 110985
UPC: 086162110962
Manufacturer: Kuraray
Publisher: Fox Video

Diameter: 12"
Sides: 3
Cover: Gatefold Jacket
Spoken Language: Japanese
Country: USA
Video Format: NTSC

Model: 110985
Shipping Weight: 2 lbs
0 in Stock

Mega-Rare Widescreen, LaserDisc Movie

Near-Mint LaserDiscs and Gatefold Jacket with light edge-wear

Akira Kurosawa's...

Kagemusha

( Catalog Number 110985 )
(1.85:1) (3 Sides) (CLV) (NTSC)

LaserDisc Special Features

Best Version on LaserDisc
Essay and Testimonial by George Lucas
International Theatrical Release
English Subtitles in Black Band at Bottom

Kagemusha
1980 - 159 min. - Color
Genre: War
Rated PG
Country: USA

LaserDisc Movie Storyline:
In this dazzling epic from Akira Kurosawa, a petty thief named Kagemusha (Tatsuya Nakadai) gets saved from a death sentence because he resembles the warlord Shingen Takeda (also Nakadai). The warlord has been fighting two other leaders for control of 16th-century Japan and impersonators often take his place during battles to put him out of harm's way. Because of Kagemusha's strong physical similarities to the warlord, he's a perfect choice for a "shadow warrior." However, the arrangement suddenly changes when Shingen gets fatally wounded while watching a battle. Adhering to Shingen's final wish, the warlord's men keep the death a secret, and Kagemusha struggles to transform himself from a criminal into a leader.

KAGEMUSHA marked a welcome return for the legendary director, who had not made a movie since 1974. Nakadai, a supporting player in earlier Kurosawa films, expertly portrays the leading role(s), almost always filled in the past by Toshir

LaserDisc Movie Review:
Just as many American studio-era directors found acclaim abroad that was denied them in their home country, by 1980 Akira Kurosawa's reputation outside Japan exceeded his esteem at home. As uncompromising as ever, he found considerable difficulty securing backing for his ambitious projects. Unsure he would be able to film it, the director, an aspiring artist before he entered filmmaking, converted Kagemusha into a series of paintings, and it was partly on the basis of these that he won the financial support of longtime admirers Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas. Set in the 16th century, when powerful warlords competed for control of Japan, it offers an examination of the nature of political power and the slipperiness of identity. For some time, Shingen Takeda Tatsuya Nakadai has been able to stay removed from the heat of battle by using his brother Nobukado Tsutomu Yamazaki as a double. As the film opens, Nobukado offers another option, having discovered a condemned thief (also played by Tatsuya Nakadai) bearing an uncanny resemblance to the warlord. After he insists on witnessing the fall of an enemy in person, Shingen falls victim to a sniper's bullet, forcing his advisers to present the thief as the fallen warrior. At first awkward in his new position and plagued by dreams in which the spirit of his double confronts him, he slowly grows into the role even as his enemies begin to advance on his kingdom. The winner of the Palm D'Or at Cannes, Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior has also been released as The Double. --- Keith Phipps

Kagemusha was an atypical entry in the canon of Akira Kurosawa, the master of the samurai epic. At the time, Kurosawa was gradually losing his eyesight, and his films were developing an increasingly impressive visual splendor. However, in Kagemusha, the action sequences are much less thrilling than in Kurosawa's other samurai epics. Here his focus is on character development and philosophical discourse. The film swings like a pendulum between stillness and action, an occasionally jarring mix of David Lean-like panoramas with intimate character study. In Kagemusha (which translates as "shadow warrior"), Kurosawa examines the concept of the double as a means to delve into enigmatic and paradoxical philosophical issues of identity, power, self-worth, and leadership. At first, Tatsuya Nakadai appears a little stiff in the essential dual role of warlord and thief, but his performance relies on subtle differences of intonation and gesture to reveal the evolution of his character. As always, Kurosawa's exploration of the values of feudal Japan provokes contemporary audiences to make parallels with modern Japan, a tendency that did not necessarily endear him to his countrymen. In fact, by 1980 Kurosawa was such a persona non grata in Japan that he had not made a film in five years: Kagemusha would not have been made without the financial assistance of George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola. --- Dan Jardine

Thanks for Visiting DaDon's !

Reviews, Articles, Newsletter and Information for Movies on LaserDisc LD Laser Disc, LazerDisc.

Cast for Kagemusha

Tatsuya Nakadai - Shingen Takeda/Kagemusha
Tsutomu Yamazaki - Nobukado Takeda
Kenichi Hagiwara - Katsuyori Takeda
Kota Yui - Takemaru
Shuji Otake - Yamagata
Daisuke Ryu - Oda
Kamatari Fujiwara - Doctor
Masayuki Yui - Iegasu Tokugawa
Mitsuko Baisho - Oyunokata
Kaori Momoi - Otsuyanokata
Hideo Murota - Baba
Takashi Shimura - Gyobu Taguchi
Norio Matsui
Jinpachi Nezu - Sohachiro Tsuchiya

Crew for Kagemusha

Akira Kurosawa - Director / Producer / Screenwriter
Masato Ide - Producer / Screenwriter
Kazuo Miyagawa - Cinematographer
Asaichi Nakai - Cinematographer
Takao Saito - Cinematographer
Masaharu Ueda - Cinematographer
Shoji Ueda - Cinematographer
Shinichiro Ikebe - Composer (Music Score)
Shinobu Muraki - Production Designer
Yoshiro Muraki - Art Director
Francis Ford Coppola - Executive Producer
George Lucas - Executive Producer
Tomoyuki Tanaka - Executive Producer

Awards for Kagemusha

Best Art Direction (nom) Yoshiro Muraki 1980 Academy
Best Foreign Language Film (nom) 1980 Academy
Best Costume Design (win) Momosawa, Seiichiro 1980 British Academy Awards
Best Direction (win) Akira Kurosawa 1980 British Academy Awards
Palme d'Or (win) 1980 Cannes International Film Festival
Best Foreign Film (win) Akira Kurosawa 1980 French Academy of Cinema
Best Foreign Film (nom) 1980 Golden Globe
Best Foreign Film (nom) 1980 National Board of Review
Best Foreign Film (nom) Akira Kurosawa 1980 New York Film Critics Circle

Feature Details

Technical Details

Welcome Rare LaserDisc Collector !

In order to purchase from DaDons you need to be a Member Learn more about Membership Benefits

Movie Search

Movie Browser

Disc Label

223

714

247

1007

283

Full Moon - Cult LD's

IMAX - Documentaries

Pioneer Special Edition

188

RKO Classic Collection

152

102

Disc Format

1396

AC-3 Dolby Digital 6.1

Anamorphic / Squeeze

Black & White - B & W

2934

676

274

205

40799

Japan AC-3 Dolby LD's

408

Japan Boxsets

728

Japan Dolby Digital 6.1

115

431

1038

New Factory-Sealed LDs

5834

3969

1309

1540

249

11096

Disc Genre

4158

1163

2513

200

683

5023

3643

1751

6001

358

423

2264

889

2787

164

969

2645

611

DaDon's All Rights Reserved - All trademarks and copyrights on this website are owned by their respective owners
LazerDisc Movies, Features and Reviews. Information, Articles and Laser Disc Tips and Tricks.

Kagemusha LaserDisc, Rare LaserDiscs Widescreen Editions Laser Disc

Kagemusha The Shadow Warrior WS Rare LaserDisc Kurosawa Action Foreign

Mega-Rare Widescreen, LaserDisc Movie

LaserDisc Special Features

Mega-Rare Widescreen, LaserDisc Movie

LaserDisc Special Features

Movie Search

Disc Genre

Kagemusha LaserDisc, Rare LaserDiscs
Widescreen Editions Laser Disc