Daisan no kagemusya
The Third Shadow
(c)KADOKAWA CORPORATION 1963
- Release Date
- April, 21st, 1963
- Running Time
- 104 min
- Genre
- Feature
- Color
- Monochrome
- Screening Format
- HDCAM
- Screen Size
- Cinema Scope (1:2.35)
[ Directed by ]
[ Cast ]
[ Staff ]
- HOSHIKAWA Seiji ── Screenplay
- NANJO Norio ── Original Story
- KABURAGI Hajime ── Music
[ Production Company ]
DAIEI
[ Distributor (Japan) ]
DAIEI
[ Story ]
During the 16th century, Kyonosuke Ninomiya, the second son of a farmer-squire, lives in the mountainous province of Hida.
One day, Sahyota Shinomura, the chief of staff to Lord Yasutaka lkemoto who has headquarters at Mitaya Castle, comes to enlist the service of Ninomiya.
Kyonosuke is employed not as a soldier but to become the lord's double. Lord Yasutaka already keeps two doubles. The first "Shadow" is a man named Kuwano, whose duty is to go to the front with the lord, in order to relieve him in emergency. The second double, named Ishihara, stays in the castle and prepares for a night attack.
Kyonosuke soon learns the lord's habits and as the last test, he is ordered to spend a night with Lady Kohagi, one of the lord's mistresses.
When an arrow strikes Yasutaka in his left eye, Shinomura applies a bandage to Kyonosuke's left eye, and makes him lead the troops, the Mitaya men rally and defeat the enemy.
That night, while celebrating victory, Shinomura commands the three shadows to have their left eyes cut out. Ishihara the second shadow tries to run away and is killed but Kuwano and Kyonosuke are compelled to lose their left eyes.
Lord Yasutaka proposes to princess Teru, the daughter of Lord Yoritsuna Miki, and she is obliged to accept him.
When Muneshiro Hirose revolts Lord Yasutaka loses his right arm and Shinomura decides to deceive the world by building up Kyonosuke as the chief of the clan.
Kyonosuke meets Kohagi, who tells him that she has always known that he is not Yasutaka, and begs him to go away with her.
In a fierce battle, Kyonosuke kills Shinomura, who is the only one who knows his real identity, and believes he is safe for life.
On the night of the wedding, Sadamitsu, the vessel of Yoritsuna, says he has discovered Kyonosuke's identity and tells him he can keep Kohagi, while he will sleep in another room with Teru, his mistress.
When Hideyoshi Toyotomi unifies Japan and captures the castle, an old man, one-eyed, weak and insane, is found in the dungeon, but dies the next day.
【Quoted from the database of Kadokawa Corporation】
【Quoted from Unijapan Film Quarterly 1963 6.3】
[ Contact (International) ]
KADOKAWA CORPORATION
International Sales, Motion Picture Business
2-13-3 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8177
Rep: NATSUNO Takeshi (President)
Attn: MORI Chiyo
tel: +81 50 1746 1220
E-mail: mori-c@kadokawa.jp
http://www.kadokawa.co.jp
