Kagemusha (1980): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Kagemusha is a 1980 historical drama directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Hideo Murota, Tatsuya Nakadai and Hideji Ôtaki. It runs 3 hours and earned $4 million worldwide on a $6 million budget. It won 2 awards from 3 nominations, including Best Costume Design at the BAFTA 1981. Critics gave it 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and 84 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.9/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 3h (180 min)
- Director
- Akira Kurosawa
- Original language
-
Japanese - Studio
- Toho Company
- Budget
- $6M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Kagemusha About?
The premise of Kagemusha without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
During a time of war, a petty criminal’s uncanny resemblance to a deceased powerful warlord leads him to be recruited to impersonate the man. As the Kagemusha, or "shadow warrior," he’s tasked with deceiving enemies and maintaining the illusion of the warlord’s continued presence. However, he soon finds himself entangled in genuine political intrigue and must grapple with the immense responsibility and danger of his deception, all while fearing exposure and the consequences it would bring.
Kagemusha Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- doppelganger
- 16th century
- deception
- trick
- 1570s
- warrior
- kendo
- martial arts
- multiple versions of same scene
- palanquin
- sword
- rifle
+38 more Show fewer
- honor
- ceremony
- body double
- jidai geki
- japanese history
- impersonation
- impostor
- one word title
- hand to hand combat
- falling off a horse
- lake
- japanese castle
- character name as title
- japanese empire
- concubine
- equestrian
- banner
- man shot to death
- battlefield
- discontent
- candy cinema
- epic war
- epic history
- stooge
- decisive battle
- denial
- samurai action
- epic drama
- loss in battle
- battle strategy
- tragedy drama
- castle siege
- death of leader
- period drama
- family secret
- samurai warrior
- mounted warrior
- sengoku period
Kagemusha Cast
Hideo Murota leads the cast, with Tatsuya Nakadai and Hideji Ôtaki. Directed by Akira Kurosawa; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Akira Kurosawa
Also Starring in Kagemusha
· 6 moreMore from Akira Kurosawa
More films directed by Akira Kurosawa, best-rated first: Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Ran and High and Low.
Kagemusha Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Kagemusha 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and 84 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.9/10.
-
IMDb 7.9 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 89% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 92%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 84 Metascore
User score 7.8
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 78% User score
See on TMDB
Kagemusha Plot Summary
What happens in Kagemusha from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
During the tumultuous Sengoku period in 1571, the powerful daimyō of the Takeda clan, Takeda Shingen, encounters a thief whose life was spared from crucifixion by his brother Nobukado, due to the remarkable resemblance the thief bears to Shingen. A strategic decision follows—the brothers agree that the thief can serve as a kagemusha, or political decoy. As the Takeda army is engaged in a siege against a castle governed by Tokugawa Ieyasu, Shingen is tragically shot while enraptured by the haunting sound of a flute from the enemy camp. In a desperate move, he orders a retreat and instructs his generals to conceal his death for a mere three years before he ultimately succumbs to his injury.
Full summary
The whole story of Kagemusha, scene by scene
Kagemusha Box Office & Budget
Kagemusha grossed $4 million worldwide on a $6 million budget, 67% of what it cost. $4 million came from the US and Canada and $18,532 (0%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$4M
67% of its budget back
- US & Canada
- $4M
- International
- $18.5K
- Budget
- $6M
Kagemusha Awards & Nominations
Kagemusha won 2 awards from 3 nominations, including Best Costume Design at the BAFTA 1981.
2 wins3 nominations1 ceremony
-
BAFTA 1981 2 wins · 3 nominations- Won Best Costume Design
- Won Best Direction – Akira Kurosawa
- Nominated Best Cinematography
Kagemusha Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Kagemusha.
How Well Do You Know Kagemusha?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What year does the movie 'Kagemusha' take place?
Kagemusha Also Known As
28 alternative titles, including “Kagemusha the Shadow Warrior” and “Καγκεμούσα, ο Ίσκιος του Πολεμιστή”.
- Also known as
-
- Kagemusha the Shadow Warrior
- Καγκεμούσα, ο Ίσκιος του Πολεμιστή
- Καγκεμούσα: Η Σκιά του Πολεμιστή
- Krigerens skygge
- Kagemusha - skugggeneralen
- Kagemusha: A Sombra de um Samurai
- Kagemusha, la sombra del guerrero
- Kagemusha - Der Schatten des Kriegers
- Gölge Savaşçı
- Kagemusha - L'ombra del guerriero
- Kagemusha, l'ombre du guerrier
- Kagemusha - spökgeneralen
+16 more Show fewer
- Árnyéklovas
- Kagemusha - A Sombra do Guerreiro
- 카게무샤
- קאגמושה
- Καγκεμούσα: Ο Ίσκιος του Πολεμιστή
- Kagemusha, a Sombra do Samurai
- Kagemusha - krigerens skygge
- Кагемуша
- Кагемуся: Тень воина
- Kagemuša: Kario šešėlis
- Sobowtór
- Kagemusha - varjokenraali
- Kagemusha: la sombra del guerrero
- Kagemuša, კაგემუშა: მებრძოლის ჩრდილი
- Тінь воїна
- จอมทัพคาเกมูชา
Seen Kagemusha?
Movies Like Kagemusha
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Sekigahara, Chûshingura and Kubi.
Kagemusha FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Kagemusha, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Kagemusha?
Kagemusha runs 3 hours (180 minutes).
When was Kagemusha released?
Kagemusha was released on October 10, 1980.
Who directed Kagemusha?
Kagemusha was directed by Akira Kurosawa.
More films by Akira Kurosawa Who is in the cast of Kagemusha?
Kagemusha stars Hideo Murota, Tatsuya Nakadai and Hideji Ôtaki, among 10 credited actors.
How much did Kagemusha make at the box office?
Kagemusha grossed $4 million worldwide ($4 million domestic, $18,532 international) on a budget of $6 million.
How is Kagemusha rated?
Kagemusha has 7.9/10 on IMDb, 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, 84 on Metacritic and 78% on TMDB.
What awards did Kagemusha win?
Kagemusha won 2 awards from 3 nominations, including Best Costume Design at the BAFTA 1981.
Does Kagemusha have a post-credit scene?
No. Kagemusha has no extra scene during or after the credits.
Coming soon to your phone
The Plot Explained Movie Summary App
From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.
Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app
