 --- Subtitled --- Akira Kurosawa's brilliantly conceived retelling of Shakespear's King Lear magically mixes Japanese history, Shakespeare's plot and Kurosawa's own feelings about loyalty in the epic masterpiece, Ran. Set in 16th century Japan, an aging ruler, Lord Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai), announces his intention to divide his land equally among his three sons. This decision to step down unleashes a power struggle between the three, when Hidetora falls prey to the false flattery bestowed upon him by the two older sons and banishes the youngest when he speaks the truth. The ruthless betrayal ultimately drives Hidetora insane, destroying his entire family and kingdom. Deep human emotion and outstanding acting combine to create one of the most acclaimed foreign films of all time. Storyline: A story of greed, a lust for power, and ultimate revenge. The Great Lord Hidetora Ichimonji has decided to step aside to make room for the younger blood of his three sons, Taro, Jiro, and Saburo, the Lord's only wish now being to live out his years as an honored guest in the castle of each of his sons in turn. While the older two sons flatter their father, the youngest son attempts to warn him of the folly of expecting the three sons to remain united; enraged at the younger son's attempt to point out the danger, the father banishes him. True to the younger son's warning, however, the oldest Son soon conspires with the second son to strip The Great Lord of everything, even his title. Written by Bill albers.bill@gmail.com Cast Notes: Tatsuya Nakadai (Lord Hidetora Ichimonji), Akira Terao (Taro Takatora Ichimonji), Jinpachi Nezu (Jiro Masatora Ichimonji), Daisuke Ryu (Saburo Naotora Ichimonji), Mieko Harada (Lady Kaede), Yoshiko Miyazaki (Lady Sue), Masayuki Yui (Tango Hirayama), Kazuo Kato (Kageyu Ikoma), Peter [I] (Kyoami), Hitoshi Ueki (Nobuhiro Fujimaki), Jun Tazaki (Seiji Ayabe), Norio Matsui (Shumenosuke Ogura), Hisashi Igawa (Shuri Kurogane), Kenji Kodama (Samon Shirane), Toshiya Ito (Mondo Naganuma). User Comment: Satish from North Kansas City, Missouri • See why Akira Kurosawa is George lucas's favorite director. This is epic, dramatic, brutal, storytelling....C'mon.....who can say no to Shakespeare with very sharp swords? User Comment: arenn (arenn@urbanophile.com) Chicago, Illinois USA • Note: some SPOILERS for the first part of the film. I just saw a new print of Ran showing as part of a 15th anniversary celebration of the film. I'd never seen it before, but because the name "Kurosawa" was on this it, my expectations were sky high. Well, I was not disappointed. As you are surely aware by now, Ran is a Kurosawa's adaptation of King Lear, transferred to medieval Japan. An aging warlord named Hidetora attempts to leave his kingdom to his three sons and enjoy a happy retirement. Things immediately go awry. The youngest son Saburo, a brash, outspoken youth, challenges his father's decision, saying in so many words that the father had trained the sons too well. Raised to imitate their amoral butcher of a father, they would ultimately turn on him. This incensed Hidetora, who banished Saburo (along with a close advisor who dared speak up in agreement with young Sab) and went through with the plan. Unfortunately, Saburo turns out to be right and the film proceeds to show the tragedy of Hidetora's decision. Not only do Hidetora's sons turn against him, his entire family has enemies who've been waiting years to avenge themselves against them for Hidetora's past brutal conquests. Ran has the feel of a great Shakespearean tragedy. Many of the scenes could have been stage sets, or perhaps more accurately opera. Note the bright colors and lavish costumes set in contrast with the bleak storyline, the bigger than life emotions, the extremity of loyalty and betrayal, and the cataclysmic finale, all very reminiscent of a tragic opera. I was left emotionally drained by the time it was all over. Visually, Ran is stunning. I mentioned the exceptional use of color and costumes already. But the shots of the landscapes, sky, and castles are likewise incredible. The characters often make reference to the gods and in Kurosawa's nature shots, you almost get the impression that they are close by, gathering to watch these sad happenings. Additionally, Ran features the best - I repeat, THE BEST - battle scenes I have ever witnessed. The music, choreography, and cinematography combine to create two major battles so incredible I think I could just sit there and watch them in a loop for hours on end. The only problem with them (and one of the few weaknesses of the film in general) is the overuse of buckets of blood, much of which looks fake. The acting was wonderful, especially Mieko Harada who stole the show as the ultra-manipulative Lady Kaede. Tatsuya Nakadai was also great as the animated Lord Hidetora. There's an awful lot that could be written about this film, but with limited space, I'll leave it with this: watch this film, preferably on the big screen. FYI: Rumor has it that the DVD of Ran is complete garbage, so do your due diligence before buying. Summary: Truly Spectacular IMDb Rating (08/29/18): 8.2/10 from 94,640 users Top 250: #133
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