Kagemusha by Akira Kurosawa

Cannes, 1980. Akira Kurosawa won the Palme d’Or for Kagemusha. He commented, “I think that cinema has the same everyday character as the press. Otherwise it has no raison d’être. It must reflect its time, to be understood by its contemporaries”. Here he is referring to a historic film, a portrait of medieval Japan as well as a comment on power which is always current.

The Takeda are one of the Nippon tribes of the 16th century. Their leader, Shingen, dreams of unifying their country and taking power. He finds in the character of a prisoner his double and decides to keep him as a back up for delicate moments. But Shingen dies. He leaves behind him the hard stain of a double ; the ‘Kagemusha’ takes his place for three years, time to prepare the succession.

Pacifist, Kurosawa portrays and denounces a futile war, cruel but fascinating. Profoundly humanist he interests himself in the psychology of characters, to their identity and in particular their desire for eternity. As a result of this he replaces the desire for power, the eternal quest of men which finally is only an illusion. Here we are offered a lexicon of humanity by the one who was called ‘the Emperor’.

Fanny Boulloud