Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha, which translates to Shadow Warrior, is a historical epic during the 1500's that focuses on Lord Shingen (Nakadai) as he combats Lords Ieyasu (Yui) and Nobunaga (Ryu) to unite and rule Japan. Shingen's brother Nobukado (Yamazaki) rescues a thief from crucifixion due to his resemblance to Shingen and his potential to be used as a kagemusha, or double. During a battle, Shingen is shot and killed; his dying wish is for his death to be kept a secret for three years. And so the thief begins to impersonate Lord Shingen, but deceiving his grandson, mistresses, and untameable horse is not a simple task.The movie is technically impressive. The seven-minute single-take intro shot transfixes you. The use of colors is brilliant, beautiful, and awe-inspiring. There is one shot in the movie that rivals the best single shot I have ever seen in any movie--and it's immediately followed by another ridiculous shot. The acting and dialogue are all phenomenal as well. However, the editing drags a bit. The film should have been at least 15-30 minutes shorter. There is almost 10 minutes of pointless repetition in the penultimate scene of the movie. And there is not much closure at the end. This may be because the film is a historical epic (and a rather accurate one, from what I can gather) and not a samurai movie, as I had first thought. It's important to realize that, because there are very different expectations in characterization, atmosphere, and plot progression between the two. Be sure you know what you're getting into when you start this movie, or you may be disappointed. Still, I highly recommend you see it.
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080979/