Review of Ran (1985) by Timothy S — 31 Mar 2008

Kurosawa's best in a string of unbelievably perfect films. Ran is a story he struggled for decades to get the funding and support for and it was only after he "warmed up" with Kagemusha that he was at last able to realise his vision.

The story is an epic one, detailing the betrayal of a warlord by his despicable sons. Kurosawa did not shoot many films in colour and this one is a sheer visual treat, with blues yellow and reds of the soldiers flowing across the blacks, browns and greens of the mountainous battlefield. The sound design is perfect and special mention has to go to Kurosawa's ahead of it's time use of silence in one of the most brutal battle scenes, with only beautiful mournful music playing over scenes of horrific violence.

The film is a sort of riff on King Lear, not strictly abiding by Shakespeare's original text but somehow being more true to the spirit of the play than any other adaptation I've yet seen. The daughters in this version are replaced by sons and the theme is more one of revenge than regret.

The acting is superb and melodramatic, extremely suitable for the epic and awe-enspiring scope of the film. Tatsya Nakadai and Mieko Harada are particularly affecting in their respective roles.

Oh and there is one of the most perfectly executed (pun intended) decapitations ever filmed near the end of this sublime masterpiece.