Kagemusha and Charade

1980's "Kagemusha" or "Shadow Warrior" is a fantastic film by master Akira Kurosawa. Incidentally, I should say that the film probably wouldn't have been made unless Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas stepped in as executive producers. The film opens on three men who all look very similar to one another. There is Shingen, his brother, Nobukado, and a thief. Shingen and Nobukado spare the thief from being killed for his thievery and decide he will be extremely useful as a kagemusha or decoy duck...erm...political decoy. This proves to be true. Soon thereafter Shingen is shot dead and the thief takes his place. Only a few members of Shingen's inner circle know who the new Shingen really is. The thief slowly grows into the role as enemies advance. The movie works so well because of its focus on the thief gradually assuming the role of Shingen. There aren't very many battles compared to other Kurosawa samurai epics or, at least, they are significantly shorter and less thrilling than ones typically found in Kurosawa's canon (apparently many such scenes were filmed with over 500 extras, but didn't make it to the final cut). So, if you watch this, don't go in thinking you are about to see "Seven Samurai II" or "Ran II." You're expectations might ruin what would otherwise prove to be a worthwhile experience. If one expects an exacting, subtle character study, then one will more probably have a rewarding experience. Of course the film owes much of its success in these respects to the performances of Tatsuya Nakadai. He plays both the thief and Shingen. And it's his subtle acting that really makes seeing the thief's transformation fun to watch. It's streaming on Netflix, so, put aside 3hrs and absorb filmic genius this weekend. 


I've watched Stanley Donen's 1963 romcom/mystery "Charade" only just recently. And man! do I regret waiting so long. Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn (who is infinitely better than her distant cousin Katherine) star. And they're romantically involved! Alright! What was I waiting for? The rest of the main cast is also a treat. A very young Walter Matthau, James Coburn, and George Kennedy are all really fantastic in this film. They all work on both the comic and suspenseful levels of the film. The film begins with some really exciting music (as soon as it started I knew I was in for a treat; it was nominated for an Academy Award) and a dead body hucked off of a moving train. The body is the husband of Hepburn's character. Over the course of the first act, she learns from Matthau's character that her husband may have been in possession of a large sum of money and that some folks would almost surely be coming after her next to get it. She has no idea about the whereabouts of the money. It's clear that Coburn and Kennedy's characters are two of these thugs, and they certainly begin pestering her about the money just as Matthau's character predicted. Indeed, they waste no time in doing so as they arrive at her husband's funeral; comically checking---in their individual ways---whether he's actually dead. What's less clear is where Grant's character stands in this charade. Is he there to help, or is he a flim-flam man? What are you waiting for? It's "The best Hitchock film Hitchock never made." It's streaming on Netflix Instant! Thanks to my grandma Helen for suggesting this to me ages ago.