Ran

Movie Review: Ran

Year of Release: 1985
Country of Origin: Japan, France
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu

Plot outline: An elderly lord abdicates to his three sons, and the two corrupt ones turn against him (IMDb).

In 1957, Akira Kurosawa borrowed from Shakespeare's "Macbeth" for his movie Throne of Blood. Nearly three decades later, he returned to the setting of medieval Japanese armies at war, this time adapting plot elements from Shakespeare's "King Lear". Ran is the Japanese symbol for chaos, an apt description of the story: the disintegration of a family dynasty through ambition, treachery and war. As in Throne of Blood, the destructive ambitions of the warlords are stoked by the schemes of a woman. The battle scenes, the sets, and the cinematography are all excellent. Just one complaint: there must be a hundred warriors shot down from their horses, but not once does a horse fall. I am not advocating cruelty to animals, but medieval marksmanship couldn't have been that good! Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai) has two distinct personalities: the bold, ruthless warlord, and the lost, cowardly madman. It is to Nadakai's credit that he plays both roles well. His character's wild mane of white hair perfectly matches his pathos. The effeminate supporting character of Kyoami is the most interesting: the court fool can say things that, if said by others, would be treasonous. But it is advice worth considering. (BK)

My judgement: *** out of 4 stars