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 secret so that his enemies will not attack. The man chosen for this role is called kagemusha (the shadow warrior). However, this kagemusha 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 16th century Japan, 'Kagemusha' was nominated for two 1980 Academy Awards (Art Direction-Set Decoration, Foreign Language Film) and was a co-winner of the grand prize at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival. It is a milestone in the career of Akira Kurosawa.