"A powerhouse of a film... Akira Kurosawa is a leading candidate for the greatest living film director." -Jack Kroll, Newsweek Magazine.

Shingen, a powerful warlord, has become as legendary as the motto emblazoned on his war banners – “Swift as the wind, silent as the forest, fierce as the fire, immovable as the mountain”. As he lies dying from his battle wounds, Shingen orders his clan to find a double to replace him – to keep his death a secret so that his enemies will not attack. The man chosen for this role is called Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior). However this double turns out to be a petty criminal who must somehow transform himself into a great leader and command the allegiance of 25,000 samurai warriors. An epic drama of feudal conflict in the 16th century Japan, Kagemusha was nominated for 2 1980 Academy Awards (Art Direction – Set Decoration, Foreign language Film) and was co-winner of the grand prize at the 1980 Canes Film Festival.