(1985)
Akira Kurosawa’s final masterpiece, Ran is a reworking of Shakespeare’s King Lear, set in feudal Japan.
Ran tells the story of Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsya Nakadai – Yojimbo, Kagemusha) an aging warlord who, after spending his life consolidating his empire, decides to abdicate and divide his Kingdom amoungst his three sons Taro (Akira Terao – Letter from the Mountain, Dreams), Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu – The Man in White, Red Shadow: Akakage) and Saburo (Daisuke Ryu – Tono monogatari, Gojo reisenki: Gojoe).
When Saburo voices concerns about the wisdom of his father’s plan, claiming that treachery within the family will be inevitable, Hidetora mistakes these comments for a threat and when his servant Tango comes to Saburo’s defense, he banishes both of them. This allows Taro and Jiro to take the reigns of power unopposed, leading to a brutal and bloody struggle for the absolute power of the warlord.
Majestic in scope, Ran is a profound examination of the folly of war and the crumbling of one family under the weight of betrayal, greed, and the insatiable thirst for power.
Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryû, Mieko Harada
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Runtime: 162 minutes
Studio: Criterion Collection
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB
Review: Ran
Akira Kurosawa’s sweeping epic is a Japanese take on Shakespeare’s King Lear and begins with the Great Lord Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai) deciding to divide his vast kingdom between his three sons – Taro (Akira Terao), Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu) and Saburo (Daisuke Ryu). Taro inherits the First Castle, Jiro the Second Castle and Saburo the Third Castle. Saburo immediately loses his gains and is exiled when protesting about his father’s plans and warning him of the family’s inevitable downfall through war. Taro is married to Lady Kaede (Mieko Harada) who gleefully returns to her former home, conquered by Hidetora during his many conquests, and she influences her husband to seize firm control. Hideotra, who insists on retaining the title of Great Lord, is not made welcome by his eldest son and turns to his second Jiro who also dismisses him.
Hidetora is left to wander the wilderness with only a fool Kyoami (Pita) for company. He is later joined by a loyal vassal Tango (Masayuki Yui). Hidetora’s actions set in motion the destruction of his kingdom. Taro captures the Third Castle after slaughtering his father’s men and driving Hidetora to near madness but in concluding the siege, he is assassinated. Jiro seizes power and the widowed Lady Kaede is quick to offer herself to the new ruler, retain her power and insist on the murder of Jiro’s wife. The question is who will prevail in the end? Will Jiro be the dominant ruler? Will Hidetora find his way back to power? What of the exiled Saburo?
Kurosawa’s film is a visual feast adorned with sumptuous landscapes, stunning costumes and battle sequences that do not rely on computer effects to make them stand out. A top notch cast handle this excellent adaptation well with Nakadai wonderful as the once powerful Hidetora. Seeing the contrast in him from the start to the conclusion is staggering. Terao, Nezu and Ryu are great as the ambitious sons, each one completely different in personality to the other. Harada is wonderfully chilling as the ruthless Lady Kaede, while Pita is memorable as the fool who isn’t afraid to speak his mind and may have more sense than anyone else in the entire film. The only downside with Ran is it could maybe have done with shortening just a little. That seems a minor complaint though. I would still look to Kurosawa’s Ikiru as the director’s undoubted masterpiece but Ran is another glorious achievement.
Ran is a rich and colourful epic from start to finish. An accomplished cast enhance the well-worked script and although the film may seem a little long in the end it is still a must see for fans of Japanese cinema, Kurosawa and Shakespeare. Probably my second favourite Kurosawa film after Ikiru.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
About the Author:
I was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England and have always been a bookworm and enjoyed creative writing at school. In 1999 I created the Elencheran Chronicles and have been writing ever since. My first novel, Fezariu's Epiphany, was published in May 2011. When not writing I'm a lover of films, games, books and blogging. I now live in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with my wife, Donna, and our six cats - Kain, Razz, Buggles, Charlie, Bilbo and Frodo.
