Ran (1985)

Posted : 2 months ago at Sep 11 1:25

Before movies like Crouching Tiger/ Hidden Dragon & Hero came along & added the artistically flair fantasy elements to these types of epic movies, there was Ran. Some of the most beautiful & grand visuals ever in an Akira Kurosawa film. The fact that his name was associated with this project guaranteed this film's sweeping quality. And, the added high budget seemed to compromise his vision not in the slightest. Instead, it seemed to open up the potentiality that Mr. Kurosawa had holding in his already abundant visionary dreams.
Definitely my favorite of his works.




Rating : 9/10

Posted : 1 year, 1 month ago at Sep 30 5:12

"Man is born crying. When he has cried enough, he dies." To movie aficionados and cinema enthusiasts, Akira Kurosawa's name is synonymous with the title of 'cinematic god'. It's irrefutable that throughout Kurosawa's career (spanning over several decades) the director has created wonderful narratives and absolutely magnificent visual delights. To some people Kurosawa is the greatest thing to hit film since light. In this cynical and incredulous modern film-going society, neophyte students of film occasionally harbour doubts regarding the existence of this so-called cinematic god. Ran is an epic film capable of making believers out of anyone. The film is a remarkable visual spectacle composed of beautiful cinematography and gorgeous, oversaturated colours. Kurosawa is a filmic guru who s...Read more

Posted : 1 year, 1 month ago at Sep 14 10:40

''Men prefer sorrow over joy... suffering over peace!'' An elderly lord abdicates to his three sons, and the two corrupt ones turn against him. Tatsuya Nakadai: Lord Hidetora Ichimonji Akira Kurosawa's Ran is an epic vision of a feudal Japan. The fascinating idea of Ran is that the principle is a reinvented twist on Shakespeare's King Lear. The story is vibrant and passionate, revolving around an aging Great Lord named Hidetora, played wonderfully by Tatsuya Nakadai, and his three sons Taro, Jiro and Saburo. What transpires is Hideotora giving up his resolute power over the lands to share between his three sons. Saburo disagrees with this immediately spurring his father into a rage and ultimately banishes Saburo and also Tango, an aide, who agrees with Saburo. ''The fail...Read more

Rating : 10/10

Posted : 1 year, 9 months ago at Jan 19 16:09

When I asked for an option of a good Japanese movie, I was introduced to Kurosawa's movies. Worried about being bored with a b&w, I chose Ran which was shot in 1985 in color. I am glad with my choice to being introduced to his work through 'Ran'. The version I saw was on DVD and the movie had gone through better color treatment and there was additional suppliments to the DVD which includes The movie is about a fearful man, Hidetora who self-declared himself as a lord through ruthless killings and wars. It is the same man who is also a father of 3 son. After a series of events, the father began to realise which of the sons is loyal. The astonishing scene of the movie would be the burning of the castle and also the numbers (in hundreds) of extras and horses used in making this movie. T...Read more

Rating : 10/10

Posted : 3 years, 3 months ago at Jul 17 4:58

I was more than pleased with the Masterworks Edition, although I've heard (but not seen) that the Criterion DVD is the best. See exerpt of review below, reverberates the sentiments I've read:
"However, this gem's transition [Ran] to DVD has been cringe-worthy on Region 1. The Fox Lorber edition is noted as being one of the worst transfers in existence, and while many were satisfied with the Masterworks edition, most who were familiar with the film (and many who weren't) recognized that there was an obscene amount of digital manipulation. The result is the film's colors looked utterly artificial and the film has nowhere near the serene look it normally does."

Rating : 10/10