Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Mieko Harada
This is actually the first time that I’ve watched an Akira Kurosawa film. In my Visual Literacy class he was alway referred to a lot, for brings lush color to his film and his keen eye for detail, and this was always the film that was referred to for those subjects. I’ve always been meaning to give the movie a shot but it has been rather hard to find it in stores, OOP DVD’s and a hard to find blu-ray. When it came available on Netflix to watch instantly I just had to watch the film. I personally love Japanese films, Godzilla, 13 Assassins, etc., I equally loved this movie compared to the others, I find that the dialogue can be much more intense with the language that seriously sounds intimidating when yelled a lot, which tends to be the case most of the time but that is what makes this movie great. Ran is one of the highlights of Japanese film making, it brings a story together that singles out the bad nature that is in all of us, Greed, Lust, Brutality, and other things that highlight the human condition.
Akira Kurosawa’s treatment of King Lear, with three sons dealing with the passing of an era as their warlord father Lord Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai), tries to find peace in his last years by dividing his fief among them. While one honest son, Saburo Naotora Ichimonji (Daisuke Ryu), faces his family’s wrath for speaking the truth, his two brothers, Taro Takatora Ichimonji and Jiro Masatora Ichimonji (Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu) vie for power in the vacuum left by Hidetora’s retirement. While Kyoami the Court Fool (Peter) makes wise commentary, Hidetora discovers for himself the madness caused by his thirst for power, and tries to find redemption for his deadly past.
To me this is one of the finest film that I’ve ever seen. It is entertaining and show a side to the human condition not seen in many movie. I feel that the movie simply a masterpiece that transcends Foreign Language films. A story that is done by Shakespeare and directed by one of the greatest directors of all time, I’m just starting to watch his work and I think that the all are just outstanding film, is a winning combination and the movie itself proves it. I think that everyone who ever wants to watch something that is well crafted and shows a different side to the typical Shakespeare tragedy than this is the right movie for you.
10 out of 10
The Visionary Film Fanatic 