Review of Ran (1985) by Tim S — 28 Dec 2013

Ran is a film that Akira Kurosawa made late in his career, 1985 to be exact, but you'd never know the difference between it and his earlier work. It's a tour-de-force, the likes of which are never found on screens today, except in revival screenings.

Kurosawa chose to re-envision Shakespeare's King Lear, but set it within feudal Japan. The story concerns Lord Hidetora, who being quite old decides to foolishly (but with the best intentions) divide up his lands amongst his three sons.

He is betrayed by them as they turn their backs on him and go to war with each other over the territories and castles as Lord Hidetora slowly loses his mind. Beautifully photographed, well acted and entrenched with deep emotion, it's a major highlight in Kurosawa's illustrious film career.

But then again, all of his films are major highlights.