Yes, after Mifune broke with Kurosawa during the Akahige's stage, Nakadai was I believe doing many Gosha's movies while in the same time a theatral (playing Shakespearian roles) carreer.
I found Akahige a little boring, almost great actors are in, but I wasn't in good mood while watching it. So I must let it another chance.
After the fail of Dodeskaden, Kurosawa wasn't filming anymore, and when he came back in the early 80's with Kagemusha, he naturally took Nakadai as the Takeda's Shingen sosie. After went Ran, which is a japanese interpretation of the King Lear from Shakespeare. So Nakadai could have put all his immense talent in.
Note that in the 60s Inagaki has made a japanese version of "Cyrano de Bergerac" with Mifune. Good one, very good to see that as french!
Nakadai is in Yôjimbo and is killed at the end of the movie, but he's still here on the sequel (Sanjûro) as the bad guy too (but not the same character!). Good prestation in some Zatoîchi's too!
