Kagemusha | Michael A. McRobbie's Choice

Akira Kurosawa's lauded feudal epic follows the story of a petty thief recruited to impersonate an aging warlord in an effort to keep the warlord safe from attacking competing clans. When the warlord dies, his general reluctantly empowers the imposter to take over as the ruler to maintain their control. But his commitment to his new role is tested when forced to lead “his” troops into battle. Winner of the 1980 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or, Kagemusha merges the passion of youthful artistic creation with the genius of a master filmmaker. [162 min; drama, war; Japanese with English subtitles]