Ran
Genre: period drama
With: Tatsuya Nakadai (Lord Hidetora Ichimonji),
Akira Terao (Taro Takatora Ichimonji), Jinpachi Nezu (Jiro Masatora Ichimonji),
Daisuke Ryû (Saburo Naotora Ichimonji), Mieko Harada (Lady Kaede, Taro’s wife),
Yoshiko Miyazaki (Lady Sué, Jiro’s wife), Pîtâ (Kyoami), Masayuki Yui (Tango
Hirayama, Saburo’s faithful aide), Kazuo Katô (Kageyu Ikoma, Ichimonji’s untrustworthy
aide), Hisashi Igawa (Shuri Kurogane), Mansai Nomura (Tsurumaru)
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Screenplay: Hideo
Oguni, Masato Ide and Akira Kurosawa (based on King Lear, by William
Shakespeare)
Release: 1985
Studio: Greenwich
Film Productions, S.A., Herald Ace Inc., Nippon Herald Films Inc.
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.6/10
‟What kind of world do we live in? One barren of loyalty and feeling.”
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Story-line: the
setting is medieval Japan. Although he can still hunt wild boars when he’s up
to it, old Lord Ichimonji cannot thwart Father Time. Realizing that decrepitude
is inescapable, he announces to his three sons, his jester Kyoami and his hunting
party guests that peace, not rivalry, should be everyone’s concern from now on.
Accordingly, he has decided to cede authority over all his dominions to his
eldest son Taro and secondary properties to his other sons Jiro and Saburo. Ichimonji’s
decision is acknowledged by Taro and Jiro but not by Saburo who calls his
father a ‟senile old fool” and is banished for his conduct. Such an outburst augurs
nothing but trouble for the Ichimonji clan.
Pluses: excellent
acting by all, especially Tatsuya Nakadai, Pîtâ (the free-speaking jester) and
Mieko Harada (one mean mama!), world-class direction, a relentless and twisty
screenplay filled with deceit, treachery and strong characters, breathtaking
visuals, high-level production values, a spellbinding musical score and a striking
ending.
Minuses: few
characters rise above the fray in this tale about grudges, power grabs, misunderstandings and revenge. Some scenes are violent or psychologically stressful.
Comments: I have read somewhere that a movie director can’t mess up a good story… but what do you get when a great Shakespearian work is adapted for the screen by one of the finest directors ever? An epic film that flows like a wicked soap opera and a grand old time for movie buffs. Simply put, RAN is that good.
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